A Different Fate
by KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga
Summary: What if both Gilgamesh and Saber were drenched in the Grail's darkness at the end of Fate/Zero? Waking up with a real human body, Arturia struggles to come to terms with her past, adjust to the present she didn't ask for and make sure that the Fifth Grail War never happens in the future… all with the golden King's unsolicited presence by her side. COMPLETE.
1. No more hope

**A/N** : hello :) a few warnings before you begin to read.

This story follows the events after Fate/Zero (therefore obviously contains **SPOILERS** for it) and basically makes sure that the ones of the whole Fate/stay night don't happen. However, there will be a few **MAJOR spoilers** here and there about the canon events of FSN – and  this is the only time I will warn you about it. Some other canon things that happen during the ten-year gap between Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night have obviously been changed.

I ask, as kindly as possible, that you avoid telling me that the basic idea doesn't really make sense, because I know. I KNOW that Fate/Zero is a prequel that was written _after_ the Fate/stay night franchise. But I find it superior to the original in every way, and this is, after all, nothing but a fanfic. It's _not_ canon. So I can do with it whatever I want.

Then I have some VERY important thank yous to give.

First and foremost, HiddenCamellia. She has been INCREDIBLY patient with me, listening to all my ramblings about the story, the plotline, the characters and everything else that came to mind, and helping with valuable input whenever I asked for her advice on anything. Thank you so, so much.

Another person to thank is my brother – even though he hasn't been supportive at all, he has played the Visual Novel and was kind enough to answer all my detalied questions during my early research, so that I could get all the facts straight – and then mess with them to my heart's content.

So, in case it wasn't clear, I know all the canon events, quite in detail. But I took the liberty to keep some of them and change the ones that I needed.

And for those who don't know: Gilgamesh = King of Heroes, Arturia = King of Knights.

I hope you enjoy reading this :)

* * *

[The story begins with the last scene of episode 24, or the first scene of episode 25, whichever you prefer]

* * *

…

...

 _Kiritsugu_ , Saber thought, as she saw him appear in the darkness behind Archer.

Her Master lifted his right hand, making his Command Spells glisten. Steeling herself, Saber took out the blade from her leg without even a grimace and stood up.

Archer smirked widely, not noticing Kiritsugu's presence. "So you've finally made your decision," he said, while still surrounded by his Gate of Babylon.

The Magus Killer murmured his order, heard only by Saber. "By the name of Emiya Kiritsugu, I order you with my Command Spell."

 _Give me the Holy Grail_ , was Saber's wild and desperate thought.

"Saber, use your Noble Phantasm… to destroy the Grail."

Shock appeared in Saber's eyes, but before she could give voice to her thoughts, the binding enchantment began its effect – and Excalibur materialized in her hand, in all its golden glory.

The King of Heroes, for the first time, was taken aback and stared at her. "Impossible… What are you doing, Saber?!"

"I'm not…!" the King of Knights had the strength to reply, but was unable to elaborate.

Kiritsugu, with his right hand still extended, walked forward. "By my third Command Spell, I order you again."

Saber's hands began to raise Excalibur against her will. "Why, Kiritsugu?!" she managed through gritted teeth. "You, of all people…" The sword was lifted high over her head. "Why?!"

"Bastard…" Gilgamesh growled. "You dare disturb my wedding ceremony, mongrel?!" He turned to face her Master, pointing his Gate of Babylon at him.

Completely ignoring them both, Kiritsugu finished his last order. "Saber, destroy…"

…Saber screamed in agony, in vain, because she was forced to obey the orders from her Master…

"…the Grail."

And Saber's arms lowered Excalibur.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The Noble Phantasm had been pointed at Gilgamesh, because the Grail was right behind him. That was the last thing that Saber saw, as the light of her mighty sword enveloped everything.

Two lonely and unwanted tears of desperation ran across her cheeks. In her anguish, she was blind to everything else.

The King of Heroes was a very proud and strong Heroic Spirit, but he wasn't foolish enough to try to stand in the path of Excalibur's power. He had turned away from it to actually confront Kiritsugu, but hadn't had the time to do so. He had managed to avoid Saber's Noble Phantasm by moving himself to the side, and from there he could see the torment on the King of Knights' face.

But he didn't have the time to be concentrated on it – something else was happening.

The Grail had not disappeared. Excalibur had hit it in a direct attack, vanquishing the building in the process, but perhaps it hadn't been enough to destroy it without any side effects. There was now a huge dark mass in the visible sky above them. A black-reddish substance similar to mud suddenly erupted from it, and it quickly began to drench everything. There was no escape possible, and the fast-spreading substance was heading towards Saber and himself.

Realizing that the King of Britain was far too gone in her despair to take notice, the King of Heroes acted on a rare instinct impulse – he reached for her form, taking her into his arms.

There was no way to avoid the strange black mud, so Gilgamesh did the only thing he could: he held the woman securely, and glared at the Grail's product, uttering, "You think you can have us? I will enjoy seeing you try, you… _filth_!"

And the dark substance soaked both kings completely.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

As soon as the strange dark matter submerged him, preventing him from breathing, Gilgamesh found himself in his treasured city – Uruk.

His former life as the half-god ruler of the Babylonian Empire had been full of pleasures and fulfilment… but some dark flashes had been unavoidable. The King of Heroes was forced to look at the saddest moments of his life… and they all included his best – and only – friend… Enkidu.

He rarely felt any emotion that wasn't boredom or annoyance. Therefore the emotions of sadness, hopelessness and anger were very unwelcome… but he couldn't avoid them, when watching his best friend being transformed back into clay.

Enkidu had been the only one to understand him – for no one else could.

As a half-god, he was isolated from everyone: both the humans and the gods felt like he didn't belong to their kind, and Gilgamesh had been alone… until he had found a kindred spirit in Enkidu.

But the gods had taken his only friend from him – to teach him a lesson. Gilgamesh had truly been powerless for the first time in his long life… and had had to watch his best friend die.

Not too long after that, his time-consuming quest for immortality had ended up with a snake eating the secret herb for it… and Gilgamesh had been forced to accept the reality of it all.

Looking back on his kingdom, the arrogant king acknowledged that, by modern standards, he had ruled as a tyrant. The power had been in his hands alone, and he had been alone on top of everything. But he was not concerned about it; after all, who, among those lowly mongrels, could ever hope to understand him, except for his only friend, who was no more?

No… there was someone who _maybe_ could understand.

That tenacious woman with a sword of gold.

The King of Knights had ruled differently from him, putting herself in the service of her people like a saint… but she had known isolation as well.

He was a half-god, therefore superior to any human… but she had pulled the sword from the stone and by doing so, she had given up a part of her humanity. She was a fool for trying to take on burdens far too heavy for a human. Yes, she was a fool… but she was a strong and even admirable one.

As soon as the darkness surrounding him – which seemed to have a consciousness – realized that Gilgamesh was no longer feeling sadness, it tried to show him darker things, outside from his life. Even if the King of Heroes still grieved over his best friend, showing him his memories of him was not going to break him. Therefore, the dark entity showed him all the world's evils, proving to him how terrible humanity had become.

Gilgamesh's only reaction, however, was of mild disgust. _Tch, mongrels_ , he thought.

That was when he felt the dark and malicious presence around him. It was powerful, and it was trying… apparently… to ensnare him into its grasp.

Gilgamesh scoffed. Him? That thing had the gall to try to capture _him_? The King of All Heroes glared at the darkness in front of him with a very haughty expression on his face.

"You think you can win over me, you filth? And by showing me 'all the evils in the world'? Bring thrice as much if you want to stain _me_!"

The black entity seemed to hiss at him, only for Gilgamesh to dismiss it by turning his head. The darkness assaulted him, but the king was unconcerned and ignored its presence completely, and felt nothing but annoyance at the fact that that filth _dared_ touch his skin.

Not long after that harsh dismissal, the substance began to disappear from around him. When it was completely gone, Gilgamesh was no longer in his palace in Uruk.

He was back to reality.

And he woke up.

...


	2. Waking up

…

...

When Gilgamesh woke up, the first thing he noticed was the burning smell and the dry air that come with a fire. High flames were slowly and noiselessly consuming the scattered remains of the desolated place around him.

The second thing he noticed was his lack of clothing. He was completely naked.

And the third thing he noticed was the woman he had been shielding within his arms, still lying in his lap, lacking clothes as well.

Keeping the unconscious King of Knights in his grasp, he looked around. Everything was burnt and surrounded by flames, and it appeared that not only the building in which they had been before had exploded, but also quite a few nearby places.

Gilgamesh shook his head lightly. What had the black mud done to him, except for taking his clothes – and his valuable golden armour, he thought in irritation?

Apparently, nothing.

Or maybe, something had been done after all. He seemed… to be alive.

He had… a real body.

He was no longer dependent on someone else's mana.

Intrigued by the unexpected development, he felt for Saber's pulse.

She was alive as well, it appeared… and they both had real bodies – who cared if they were naked.

Gilgamesh stood up, with his usual haughtiness. He looked around – there was nothing suitable to be used as a piece of clothing, except for some half-burnt curtains in one corner of the former room that had miraculously escaped the fire.

He scoffed.

Those were hardly appropriate to cover someone such as himself and the woman he had taken the trouble to hold in his arms while the black mud surrounded them. But they would do – for the time being. He went to take them, and put one around the king on the floor. He didn't bother to avoid looking at her naked body – after all, she was going to be his wife, whether she wanted it or not – but he did not touch her more than what was strictly necessary to cover her. Even if she was _his_ , and therefore his to do whatever he pleased, by carrying the weight of her burdens until the very end she had earned the right to at least that little form of respect on his part.

Once Gilgamesh had put the other curtain around his sculptured body to cover himself as well, he picked up the sleeping King of Knights in his arms. He took notice that Saber was surprisingly light.

Thinking about her, it occurred to him that it was better to stop calling her with her Servant's Class title. Her name was Arturia – a strange name, he mused – and he would now begin to use it.

He walked across the desolation left by the Grail's dark substance, caring little for the destroyed building and looking at it with contempt.

To his mild surprise, he found another living person amongst the rubble – Kotomine Kirei.

For some inexplicable reason, the priest was alive without having his heart beating. He had been drenched in the Grail's strange mud, too, and had apparently been granted life. He had seen Kiritsugu earlier as well, but the man had been completely mentally broken and was wandering around senselessly, looking for other survivors. He had found a young boy, and had then cried in relief while taking him to safety. Kirei had not found it interesting to kill either him or the child, so he had simply watched them go.

The priest related those facts to the King of Heroes, wondering at him now having a real body.

However, as soon as he saw Arturia, he raised an eyebrow and swiftly took out a dagger. Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow as well, held the woman more tightly against his chest and coldly stared the priest down.

"What do you think you are doing, Kirei?"

The dark-hearted man looked at the King of Heroes as if he was mad.

"Gilgamesh, Saber is too dangerous to be kept alive. You know that as well as I do." His eyes flashed. "And now that the war has ended, she is nothing but a leftover to get rid of."

That comment made Gilgamesh instinctively open his Gate of Babylon.

Hmm, so apparently he could still use his powers, even though he had become human. That was good to know.

The King of Heroes pointed a golden sword at his second Master from the Fourth Holy Grail War and coldly glared at him. "Arturia is mine to do whatever I please."

Kirei was not impressed. "Now of all times you wish to have a new form of amusement, Gilgamesh? And of all the people of interest that there are in this world, you have chosen this foolish and childish woman? I thought this was not worthy of the King of Heroes."

Gilgamesh stared him down. Normally, if anyone talked to him like that, they would die. But this time the mongrel's insult and ridicule were too beneath him to take them seriously.

"As everything in this world belongs to me, she does too. And you will not lay a finger on what belongs to the King of Heroes, Kotomine Kirei."

The priest looked at his former Servant, assessing him. He knew that Gilgamesh was incredibly powerful and cunning, and if he wanted to keep the woman, he probably had a good reason for it. As long as she didn't become a threat… and he doubted she would, if she was supposed to amuse the King of Heroes.

Therefore he gave a dismissing nod and then turned around. He was going to go to the Tohsaka residence – now that the Church was destroyed, he didn't have other places to go. Legally, he was Rin's guardian after all… he had the right to stay there. His lips formed a slight smirk. The girl still didn't know about her father and mother.

He would enjoy telling her and secretly relish in her misery.

Before he left, he noticed that the King of Heroes wasn't following him. Kirei arched an eyebrow at him.

Reading his unspoken question, Gilgamesh gave him a haughty look. "I'm not going to be around while you babysit a brat, Kirei. I will spend my time with more interesting things."

The priest looked at the woman in his arms with a bored expression, and then shrugged. "Do not let Saber see me, Gilgamesh. Make sure she doesn't know about the latest events of the war."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes but didn't trouble himself with a reply. The mongrel's audacity had increased a great deal since he had become aware and had accepted his true dark nature – but instead of having that trait making him shine among the other rabid dogs, he had failed to become interesting. His growing arrogance only proved that he was quickly becoming too full of himself and, in a short while, he might end up similarly to Tokiomi, becoming unable to see the reality in front of his own eyes.

But it wasn't his problem what Kirei was going to do with his life. He had provided him adequate entertainment for quite a while – the fact that he was now uninteresting didn't faze the King of Heroes. There was no mongrel capable of amusing him for more than a short while – and even if those capable of such a feat were rare, they also quickly reverted to the role of commoners.

Kirei was such an example.

Looking at the woman in his arms, Gilgamesh had to pause in his reasoning.

What he had seen inside the Grail was still fresh in his memory. He could not dismiss _her_ as quickly as everyone else. He would have to wait and see… if she was truly worthy as he expected her to be.

He narrowed his eyes at her, as an unwanted thought suddenly crossed his mind. She had been drenched in the Grail's darkness, too – it was highly likely that the filthy cup had tried to corrupt her and shatter her soul.

And he didn't know whether it had succeeded or not.

Did he still want her as his wife, as he had wanted before the end of the war? Yes, he did.

But from her he wanted what made the former Saber so _Saber_ , nothing less. He had to make sure that Arturia, the one who would wake up, was no different from Saber… Or, if she was, that she was equally, if not more, interesting in his eyes. He needed to observe her before deciding whether to make her his wife or not… he only wanted someone worthy as his companion, no one else.

And if Arturia had lost against the Grail… then that would mean that she had been broken beyond repair, and she was no longer worthy of a second glance of his. What made the woman so fascinating was who she was; if the dark entity of the Grail had taken over… it meant that she as a person didn't exist anymore. That meant that the woman in front of him was merely a doll, a puppet manipulated by the corrupted cup. And if that was truly the case, he would have to dispose of such a nuisance.

That meant that he would have to observe her carefully.

The priority at the moment was to find a place to stay. He refused to be with the priest any longer – not only was Tokiomi's offspring around, he also wanted to be able to focus on Arturia without interference.

A good place to go might be somewhere she was familiar with… but also a place her former Master was unlikely to show up.

There was an Einzbern Castle outside of Fuyuki… and according to Kirei, it had been partially destroyed by Lancer's Master. It was improbable for anyone to go back there.

Turning around, Gilgamesh briefly wondered if, having still his powers, he could dematerialize as well…

He had his answer when both he and the King of Knights in his arms vanished.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Pain. The first thing Arturia felt when her awareness began to come back was an excruciating pain.

And, even if she hated herself for that moment of weakness, she cried out in utter agony.

She groggily opened her eyes, without managing to see anything, not completely aware of the last things that had happened before she had lost consciousness.

The feeling of the dry air against her skin awoke her other senses as well – and Arturia realized she was naked. She was covered by what seemed to be a blanket and lying on a bed, but she was without clothes. Her hands went up in a rare moment of feminine bashfulness to cover her breasts more securely.

A deep, short chuckle made her aware of the fact that there was someone else there with her – someone she was unfortunate enough to recognize. Arturia pushed her back off the mattress of the bed – making sure to keep the blanket high enough to hide her chest – and looked around herself.

She was in a simple bedroom. There were some golden and red elements decorating both the walls and the furniture here and there, but it wasn't anything overwhelming. Strange, considering what the King of Heroes's tastes were usually like.

Speaking of which, his eyes were the next thing she saw when she glanced to her right. On her left there was a wall against which her bed was leaning.

The room seemed familiar, but she didn't ponder over it, because right then Archer's red eyes were boring into her soul.

There was something… different about him, though.

His eyes were definitely amused – but there was also something else. If she hadn't known any better, Arturia would have thought that there was some concern and a little satisfaction. On second thought – the satisfaction was definitely there.

Suddenly, all the former events came crashing down on her – and her hands left the blanket to grab her own head.

Berserker's identity…

Her having to fight him in his mad condition and ultimately pierce her blade through him…

Archer's completely random proposal…

His attacks…

Kiritsugu's appearance…

His last Command, repeated twice in order to fully enforce it upon her, to completely extinguish any kind of foolish last hope she had had…

Her sword taking form and her arms lifting it for the final blow, acting against her wishes…

The bright light of Excalibur, surrounding everything and destroying the Grail…

And then…

Arturia screamed.

...


	3. Inside the Grail

**A/N** : I would like to emphasize this before you continue reading.

I know that this story doesn't follow canon events. A lot of things are CHANGED and some are even shamelessly contradictory, therefore it's not faithful to the original AT ALL.

But if what you want is the original, then you are in the wrong place.

I know that there is NO WAY that what I write makes any sense in the canon universe. No one is forcing you to read this, though. And this, by the way, is a FANFIC, for heaven's sake.

That said, I hope you can enjoy it nonetheless!

* * *

…

...

Arturia screamed.

She hated herself for allowing the memory of the pain make her cry out like that, but she couldn't help it.

Because the last thing she could remember was something – or someone – holding her around her waist, and then a wet, sticky darkness surrounding her and making her feel like she was drowning. And after that…

…

The most painful memories of her life invaded her mind, with pure darkness and despair being the centre of them all.

Arturia remembered… she had to re-live all the years of her kingship in a fast-forward, watching her kingdom slowly fall apart in spite of all her efforts… and her people and her knights and everything she had given herself up for… she remembered having to watch them crumble and die away.

At that point, her heart was aching so much she thought it was about to rip her chest apart and kill her in the process. And, at that point, she truly would have welcomed death.

But she saw what happened next…

The battle of Camlann.

All the corpses surrounding her, and she, the one lone survivor of the battle on top of the hill.

And the contract she had made with the world to become a Heroic Spirit… she was one of the very few Heroic Spirits who had never died. And that was all for her kingdom… to change its destiny and give it another chance to prosper.

But, even if the flash-forward of her past was finished, the black entity who had showed it to her didn't disappear. It remained with her on the hill of her last battle, and insisted on showing her every single corpse, indulging on the ones of her knights, her loyal knights, almost with pleasure, and forced her to keep her eyes open to watch.

Arturia felt her chest hurting again, but she was powerless.

She also understood the message that the black identity was trying to convey – her kingdom was doomed, and it had been her doing.

Her doing.

 _Her_ doing.

It was _her_ fault.

All. _Her._ Fault.

 _She_ was the one who had brought Britain to its demise. She had done everything wrong.

She had tried to be a good ruler by staying detached and becoming almost a deity for her subjects – but she had never understood them that way.

Believing that a true king should be alone and carry all the burdens on his own, she had kept her distance, thinking she was doing well… without knowing what everyone else thought about it.

She had truly done everything wrong.

She had thought that by giving up her own personal wishes, she could be a worthy ruler. But perhaps Rider had been right after all… she was nothing but a little girl. Even her most trusted and loyal knight, Lancelot, had ended up hating her…

She had failed her country. She had failed her knights and her people.

She had failed everyone and everything.

Understanding that made Arturia almost go mad with self-deprecation.

Frantic, her mind refused to give in to darkness… at least, not immediately.

What if Britain's fate had already been sealed, and not a consequence of her rule?

That thought lifted the cloud of darkness from her mind… –

–…but only for a second. If her rule had not been able to change Britain's already sealed destiny, then perhaps…

…perhaps another ruler could have done better?

Tears began to stream down Arturia's face.

And her thoughts were of pure desperation.

 _I should never… have become king…_

…

Did she even have something that made her a king? Was there anything in her that made her worthy of kingship?

What _did_ she have that had ever made her think she was a worthy king?

She had seen other examples of people who called themselves kings, during the Fourth Holy Grail War.

She and Rider had clashed in their ideologies.

Iskandar had followed an impossible dream his whole life, leading his people towards it, too, and had died still following it and never achieving it.

She had led her life as a king on much more solid grounds than senseless dreams – but she had failed. And _after_ all that, she had tried to reach for an impossible dream – the change of Britain's fate.

It was ironic, almost. Iskandar had wasted his life around a dream, not really caring about giving a successor to his country nor giving it enough to _make_ it a proper country. He had not understood the first thing about being a true king… but he had been a leader, and his people had been entirely loyal to him. With his death, Rider had accepted his mistakes and made the most of his good abilities – by creating a Reality Marble with his warriors.

Arturia had ruled with sincere love and care for her subjects, and had put herself at their service completely, disregarding her own wishes… and thus unconsciously sealing away her humanity and pushing them away from herself, becoming alone.

Her rule had been just, fair and honourable, and contrary to many other rulers, it had given victory and peace – but only for a while.

She had given prosperity to her kingdom for more than ten years… but it had not lasted longer than that.

In the end, she had been betrayed because she was no longer human… and she had not been able to understand the resentment of those around her. And since she had never died… she had also never accepted what had happened to her kingdom.

That was what truly made her different from other kings. She had still had her life… When everything around her had crumbled, she had still had her life and had had to be a witness to it all.

And perhaps… perhaps that was the root of it all.

The other kings had built a realm during their lifetimes… and even if their kingdoms had fallen apart, it had been _after_ their deaths… therefore they had been able to accept the fact that they had wasted their existence around their ideologies. _She_ had not been able to accept it because, even if her ideal of bearing the weight of her reign alone had been flawed, she had had to be witness to that ideal crumbling. Iskandar's ideal was much more selfish than hers and had not been for the good of his people – but he had not witnessed its destruction… he had only learned about it long after his death, and had therefore been able to accept it.

She hadn't. And that was when she had made a great mistake… instead of understanding that there had been flaws in her rule and accept her regret over that, she had selfishly allowed her regret to take over and decided to change her whole kingdom's history.

Death, apparently, was what was needed to understand fully what one's life had been about.

It didn't mean it was enough, though.

As she was forced to look back on her life again, Arturia felt it… someone, or something, was hidden in that dark mud that had surrounded her earlier, and it was malicious.

It was ready to take possession of her mind, body and soul, she was certain of it.

And she…

…she was going to let it do just that.

She felt the glee of the malicious darkness coming nearer, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Now that she was again so close to death, she could see more clearly. She had given her life for her country and her people – and it had been in vain. She had become a Heroic Spirit – only to be summoned to fight in a war in which her Master refused her and ultimately forced her to destroy her hopes herself…

If everything she had done had always been in vain… why continue to fight?

The powerful darkness enveloped her whole body and Arturia closed her eyes, no longer caring about fighting it away, even though it felt somehow unpleasant when it met her skin…

After all, why should she care about what happened any longer… she had done everything wrong, everyone had repeatedly told her so…

…hadn't they?

No… someone… someone had told her that her beliefs weren't wrong. Someone had told her she should hold her head high with what she believed in. It had been said in mockery- perhaps.

Rider, the King of Conquerors, had dismissed her without taking the time to listen to her – in the end, he was no different from Kiritsugu.

But the other one… Archer, the King of Heroes… He had told her with an evil laugh that he would enjoy seeing her crush under the weight of her ideals, but he had not dismissed them. He had told her he expected her to lose herself to them, because they were beyond human reach, but he had also implicitly admitted that those ideals were worthy of a ruler.

So… what would happen if he were actually right? If her ideals, in spite of not having been able to save her kingdom, were actually worthy of a ruler…?

Was she going to lose herself to them?

Was she going to let their weight, the weight she had carried her whole life, crush her then, when she was so close to death?

 _No_. She was not.

One split second was enough to allow her to make that decision. She was _not_ going to give up – not now.

She had fought for so long – she could continue to do so.

For her country. For her people. For her knights. For everything she had ever fought for…

For her most trusted knight against whom she had had to fight just a short while before…

The thought of Lancelot made her mind abruptly go back to the battle with him… and his last words, murmured after he told her about the guilt he felt, hit her in full force.

… _I can say this much with certainty, King Arthur… You were the greatest among all kings. All who served you… felt the same way._

He had not hated her… he had been loyal to her until the very end.

Was she going to let down those who, in spite of the mistakes she felt she had made, believed in her?

Her decision finally made, the King of Knights opened her eyes and stared down at the darkness, which halted its assault on her.

Her bright green eyes narrowed at the form and her gaze turned ice-cold.

So, that was the darkness's play. It – whatever it was, she didn't care at the moment – had tried to make her surrender herself to it by showing her what she considered her greatest failures, knowing that she had never forgiven herself for them…

Arturia slowly stood up.

She looked at the dark mass in front of her and focused.

Yes, she thought that her life had been full of failures – she had failed many times, and the last battle had been her ultimate breakdown. The time of her country, Britain, was over. She had tried her best to save it… she had given her all to fight again and again… only to fail. And yet, she had survived the demise of her life's work.

She had not accepted it – she _could_ not accept it – and she had made a contract with the world, to become a Heroic Spirit, to have the chance to change fate.

But she could see it now – it wasn't possible.

That was what had ruined her spirit: she had not been able to let go of the already happened past… she had clung to it like a fool, in love with an idea of a kingdom that had existed, and had in reality prospered under her rule, but was no more.

So _that_ was her true mistake… the one Iskandar did in fact have the right to judge, because he had done the same thing.

He had followed an impossible dream in life; she had followed it in death.

With a deep sigh, Arturia steeled herself internally.

And she did what she had never allowed herself to do until that point – begin to accept that her kingdom's time was over.

As soon as that thought entered her mind and began to take form, the dark mass raged. If it had been something human, Arturia felt it would have hollered in fury…

…and it attacked her. It surrounded her and squeezed itself around her body tightly, making it impossible to breathe and making her feel like every inch of her skin was on fire.

And, oddly, that only gave her more strength.

If that dark thing was now attacking her ferociously, it meant that her acceptance of her kingdom's demise – as painful, heart-wrenching and desperate as it was – was the right thing to do. Arturia was more than wise enough to understand that.

Therefore she opened her eyes again and began to struggle against the darkness. Its rage only seemed to increase – and Arturia, having been through many battles, knew then that she was winning. She fought with all the strength of her mind – and the blackness slowly began to disappear, becoming a grey cloud that gradually became smaller and smaller…

…until it vanished.

Exhausted, Arturia let herself fall on her knees again, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her whole body hurt… but she knew she had defeated the dark filth, even if she did not know what it was.

It didn't really matter.

There was a more important question to be answered… what was she to do now?

But before she could find an answer, her mind fell into unconsciousness.

...


	4. A life to live

…

...

Arturia had still her trembling hands on the sides of her head. So… she had apparently survived? Or was she in the Heroic Spirits' realm? But if she was, what was _he_ doing there?

She slowly lowered her hands, forcing them to stop trembling. Weak she may feel and be, but she was the King of Knights and she would hold her head high.

Looking at the King of Heroes again, she addressed him.

"What is this place, Archer?" Her voice was slightly hoarse, but she was pleased to find out that her tone was not wavering.

The arrogant man raised an eyebrow. Even after waking up naked in an unknown place, with him of all people beside her – she had made him wait, even if not for long –, she didn't take a confused or subdued pose. She didn't sit with her shoulders slumped, and her gaze was not submissive. She had the stance of a true king even in such an unfamiliar situation.

So far, she acted and talked as Saber would.

He allowed the briefest flicker of a smile to ghost on his lips, before conceding her an answer.

"Hmph. You should have recognized the place. We are in the Einzbern Castle outside Fuyuki."

Arturia didn't change her expression except for a slight furrow of her brow.

"I thought that the castle suffered extensive damage when Lancer's Master attacked Kiritsugu."

Gilgamesh was more amused than annoyed at her questioning his words. He decided he could give her an answer, again.

"The damage did not reach the upper floors."

Arturia gave him a slight nod, understanding.

Suddenly she realized that she wasn't the only one who was naked. Archer had something draped around him, similar to the blanket that was on her, but she could have sworn that he was wearing nothing underneath. While she mentally rolled her eyes, she became aware of something else.

No one was supplying her with mana.

She was no longer a spirit. She had a human body.

Her eyes widened at the realization. She immediately looked up at Archer, for the first time losing her composure. She could still sense him, but he very obviously wasn't a Servant anymore.

"Archer, what is the meaning of this? How are we… in real human bodies?"

Gilgamesh smirked.

"I assume it's the Grail's black mud's doing… _Arturia_."

He observed the King of Knights with satisfaction. She seemed to be herself… she almost startled at his casual way of addressing her by her name, and all her actions up until that moment were exactly the ones he would have expected from Saber.

Gilgamesh felt reassured. If she had been taken over by the Grail, it would have meant that she was weaker than what he had given her credit for.

He gave her another one of his best smirks.

"So, how did you enjoy meeting the true nature of that filthy cup, King of Knights?"

Arturia gave him one long, measuring stare, staying silent for a while. She chose to be diplomatic.

"If you are talking about a strange, malicious and dark entity, I did make its acquaintance. I cannot say that the experience of meeting something that enjoys feeding on despair was a welcome one."

His smirk did not waver.

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong. That entity was the Grail… and for some reason, it gave us human bodies."

Ignoring his irritating way of speaking, Arturia looked at her hands in half-wonder.

"It's an unexplainable development. Apparently, we are no longer relying on anyone else's mana to stay in this world, but we haven't lost our powers." She narrowed her eyes at him, in an inquisitive gaze. "Or have you, King of Heroes?"

The arrogant man only smirked at her impudence. He casually raised a hand and the Gate of Babylon opened next to it. Arturia eyed him warily, but he only took out a chalice filled with wine and sipped on it. Then he seemed struck with a thought… and he took out another chalice, handing it to her. Lifting an eyebrow and still on guard, the woman hesitated for a moment before accepting it and cautiously taking a sip. It was the same delicious wine from the meeting of the kings from not too long before.

While she was drinking, Arturia was struck with a thought. When the dark substance had exploded from the Grail, there had not been only her and the King of Heroes around.

"Archer, were we the only ones to survive the Grail's darkness?"

Normally Gilgamesh would not have answered any questions directed at him, but he had already gone against that rule a few times, and it had not been bothersome so far, therefore he supposed he could give her another reply. He remembered the priest telling him not to speak about him to Saber, but he mentally snorted. As if that human had anything to say in what he did. Sure, Kirei had been an interesting being to observe and to bring to self-realization, but now he had become quite dull. Recognizing his true goal in life had not made Kirei a superior person, nor had it made him a more intriguing one. For Gilgamesh, the fascination with the man had ended.

Therefore, he replied, "Kotomine Kirei and your former Master survived, too. The latter also seems to have saved a child from the rubble."

Arturia digested the information. Kiritsugu was alive. She had to fight down a sudden feeling of revulsion towards the man who had forced her to destroy her last hopes with no regard at all for her thoughts on the matter. She didn't realize that she was frowning until she felt Archer stare at her.

She returned his intent look with a blank one of her own. The King of Heroes smirked.

"You truly are a beautiful woman, be it on the battlefield or in a domestic setting… _Arturia_."

Those words bothered the King of Knights. She was reminded of the other occasion in which he had told her something very similar… and it had been when he had made her that absurd proposal. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes – and she realized that she had had to do that quite a few times already in the King of Heroes's presence.

Should she confront him about his last words before the Grail's destruction? Or was it better to leave the matter be? He hadn't brought the subject up, after all… And aside from making that questionable statement right then, he was not repeating his earlier demands again. He hadn't tried to stab her with his Noble Phantasm because she refused to accept his marriage proposal, to name one.

Finishing her refreshing drink, the woman handed the chalice back to him, but he only waved a hand and it disappeared in thin air. "Oh? I take the trouble to compliment you, and you arrogantly refuse to say a word?"

Arturia did not bother to say anything. That _he_ of all people should talk about arrogance… the urge to roll her eyes became more insistent as she seriously wondered what was wrong with the man's ego. Luckily, he didn't seem to really expect a reply from her and just continued to drink his wine.

She took her attention away from him and looked around herself, paying more attention to the details. Even if Archer had very evidently given his personal touch to the décor of the room – and she didn't wish to think about the reason he had done so –, she recognized it as her personal bedroom from when she had been staying there.

If it was her personal room, then there were going to be clothes in the closet – she was sure Irisviel had given her some. A pang of sadness hit her when thinking about the white-haired woman… but she couldn't afford to mourn her right then. She had to assess her situation and determine her next move.

She turned around in her bed, still keeping herself covered with the blanket, and looked pointedly at the King of Heroes. He didn't seem to get the hint, and she sighed slightly in exasperation.

"Archer," she said evenly but with an underlying tone of impatience. "I wish to get dressed. Be so kind as to leave. The third room on the right should be Kiritsugu's, so you can find clothes for yourself there, if you so wish."

The golden king's eyes fell on her, weighing her, while still sipping on his wine. She held his gaze firmly, not backing down. The ghost of a smirk appeared on his face.

"It's Gilgamesh," he said finally.

Arturia's expression did not change.

He took the trouble to elaborate. "Stop calling me by my class's title, _Arturia_. The war has ended, and for some reason we are the sole surviving Servants. We have been given true bodies, and we are therefore trapped in this world. I foresee a great deal of boredom in the midst of all these mongrels, and that is why you have the honour to remain around as my amusement. And if you are to be around me, I'm calling you by your given name – and so are you."

She let out a small huff. "We can talk about this matter once we are clothed again. Kindly leave the room, Arch–… _Gilgamesh_ ," she amended after catching his displeased look. If giving in to such an inconsequential demand would make him go away, she might as well humour him – for the time being.

The arrogant man reluctantly left to go looking for clothes he could find acceptable to wear in Kiritsugu's old – and probably never used – bedroom. Arturia found her own clothes, as she expected. There was a suit among them, but even though she had found it useful during the war, she preferred to put it aside for the time being and instead wore a simpler attire.

A white shirt with a blue skirt and black leggings underneath, and a pair of practical booties did her outfit, and she stepped out of the room ready to examine and take control of her new life.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

During the following months, Arturia slowly began to come to terms with her fully human body.

She still had all her powers as a Heroic Spirit, and could use them without problems, but the exertion now began to be more apparent. She had to begin to train a bit – to make sure her human physique didn't forget the agility and the speed of her spirit form.

In order to train, she needed a place for it – and that meant that the large Einzbern Castle, half-destroyed as it was, was perfect. Some rooms had to be fixed and repaired a little – and with her powers as a Heroic Spirit, it was a work she was willing to do, because she could find out the limits of her body at the same time.

Most of her days were spent inside the castle, either exploring it, repairing it or cleaning some rooms in which she trained. She rarely went outside – there were still the signs of the atrocities Caster had committed with the innocent children, and she didn't know if members of the Church, like Kirei, were supposed to come and dispose of the evidence about them. If they were indeed going to do that dirty work, it was in her best interest not to meet them.

The King of Heroes didn't really interact with her in that period of time. He had chosen what seemed to have been a living room as his personal space, and usually remained there, leaning on a couch. He sometimes left for a short while, but she didn't exactly observe him closely, therefore she wasn't entirely sure.

He had been detached from her – not that she minded. It was actually a relief to see that he didn't try to do anything to her. She was well aware of the fact that he had asked – or rather, demanded from – her to marry him before the end of the war, but he didn't seem interested in bringing the subject up again… something she was actually both glad and relieved for.

The only rare remarks he had ever made so far were on how much she ate. He had strangely been generous enough to use his Gate of Babylon to provide food for them both – when she was hungry, the Gate would open beside her with a golden tray coming out of it, filled with a complete meal. What had both amused and annoyed the King of Heroes was her surprisingly humongous appetite – and that was among the very few things he had made comments on.

One early afternoon, though, after they had just eaten lunch and the trays had disappeared as usual, he suddenly sat up from the couch he was lying on and looked at her.

Bluntly, he said, "Are you going to just continue eating and training the whole time? Not doing anything?"

Startled, she was not able to give a prompt reply. He didn't give her the time to put her thoughts together though, because his next words were even more startling.

"Wasn't your goal saving your country, _King of Knights_?"

She looked coldly at him. So, he intended to bring out the full force of his arrogance that day. What was the best way to answer to such an attack? She narrowed her eyes.

She was going to retort… with the truth.

"I can't save my country… not with the Grail, at least."

 _Oh_. Now _that_ was something he hadn't expected her to realize – nor accept. Gilgamesh's eyes betrayed his interest in her words, and she continued.

"I understand my former Master's last order – he must have realized the true nature of the Holy Grail and therefore decided the best course of action in order to destroy it." She had had to think about it for a while, but she had understood enough about Kiritsugu to be certain that he would not have given her such an order if he had not known that the Grail was corrupt.

And using that artefact to change her country's fate was not possible – not to mention that she had destroyed it herself, with the blast from Excalibur.

Unsurprisingly, Gilgamesh gave a short chuckle.

"Oh, now this might prove to be interesting."

He came nearer, stopping right in front of her and leaning forward slightly to be on eye level with her.

"What purpose has your life now, then? Because now you _have_ a life – with a fully human body…"

Arturia's eyes widened, because of both the proximity and his words.

He was not done, though. "If you don't have the hope to use the Grail to save your country anymore… then what meaning does your life have, _Heroic Spirit Arturia_?"

That question hit her hard.

If she could not save her kingdom… what purpose did her life have?

Her eyes, with a vaguely lost look in them, suddenly hardened. Arturia took a step back from him, turned around and left the room.

She had to get some order inside her head.

Gilgamesh looked at the woman leave, knowing he had said the right things to push her buttons.

He had observed her during the past weeks, and it had been quite entertaining to see her adjust to the human body she had… and he had also been reassured about the fact that she truly hadn't been tainted by the Grail.

Still, he was aware that the true entertainment was still to come. Having a body entailed having a life to live – something that Arturia did not want.

What was she going to do?

He was actually looking forward to observing her behaviour in that new life, because he had decided that seeing her survive the Grail's corruption was not enough.

He wanted to observe her actions to see if she was truly worthy of being his wife.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Arturia spent several hours in her room, seated on her bed with her eyes closed, thinking. Having a real body and a life to live in front of her, the matter seemed… complicated.

She had not asked for such a thing, nor had she desired it. When trapped inside the corruptive dark substance coming from the Grail, she had finally begun to accept that her time as a king had long ended. Begun being the keyword – she had not accepted it fully yet. She still felt that she was to blame for her kingdom's demise… and she would probably never forgive herself for that.

But she _had_ begun to see that using the Grail in an attempt to alter the past was nothing more than wishful thinking. She would not, however, accept the fact that there was no hope to change her kingdom's destiny… not until it was proven beyond any possible doubt.

That meant that she was now in the world of the living, not as a Servant formed by mana, but as a real part of it.

What was she going to do?

It wasn't like she had people she knew or cared about in the world of the living… not anymore. The only person she had known who was still alive – at least according to Archer – was her former Master.

However, she had no desire to see Kiritsugu again – ever. They were too different to interact beyond common civility, and even that had proven to be difficult more than once. For that reason, she was not interested in meeting him… but, her logical mind reflected, it was better to keep tabs on him nonetheless. She didn't know what he had decided to do after the war… and he wasn't, after all, known as the 'Magus Killer' for nothing. The best way to handle someone like him was to observe him from a distance.

Everyone else she had known had died during the war. The honourable Lancer, the impassive but dutiful Maiya, the kind-hearted Irisviel…

Irisviel.

Thinking about the only person she had come close to calling a friend, Arturia's eyes snapped open.

Irisviel was dead – she had become the Grail vessel as she had been destined to be and then was obliterated in the blast that had come from her own Noble Phantasm.

Irisviel had left people behind… one was Kiritsugu, but the other one was her daughter – Illyasviel.

The young girl was still in Germany, at the Einzbern Castle. Who knew what would become of her, now that the war had ended and Kiritsugu had not been able to win.

Arturia stood up. She knew _exactly_ what was going to happen to Illyasviel, if her mother's destiny was anything to go by.

Angry because of Kiritsugu's failure, the Einzberns were probably going to 'train' the girl for the future… both as a weapon and as a new Grail vessel.

The King of Knights took a deep breath. There was nothing she could do for Irisviel anymore. However, out of respect for the bond of friendship they had shared, the least she could do was make sure that her daughter would not be forced to follow her down the same path.

She knew, however, that she was not aware of what Kiritsugu was doing – or going to do – about that same matter. Perhaps he had already taken his daughter away from her cruel future. It was best to enquire about that with Archer… after all, he seemed to be in contact with Kotomine Kirei, and Kirei had always been interested in Kiritsugu. It was highly likely that he knew what her former Master was doing… or at least had more information about him than she did.

Mind made up, the woman went to her closet. Other than clothes, inside of one of the closet's drawers there was also quite a bit of money in cash. Maiya had given it to her to make sure that Irisviel had everything that she needed, but it had almost never been used. Arturia took it all out and put it inside a bag. She also added some spare clothes and a few accessories, but she kept it as minimal as possible, selecting only the strictly useful things.

She was going to get some information from Archer and, if nothing came up about Kiritsugu, she would travel to Germany.

There she would go to the Einzbern Castle and find Illyasviel.

Bag in her hand, she left the room.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Downstairs, Gilgamesh was on a couch, for once sitting instead of leaning down, but with the usual wine glass in his hand. He looked up with a bored expression when she came in, his red eyes shortly lingering on the bag she was carrying. Arturia seated herself in front of him, on another couch. There was a small wooden table between them.

The woman knew she had to be careful in bringing up the subject on which she wanted answers – the King of Heroes was too arrogant to simply give a reply if she asked.

Perhaps a direct approach from a different side would work, though.

"Was Kotomine Kirei the judge of the war after his father died?" she asked unexpectedly.

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed in amusement.

"Interesting that you should ask such a question, Arturia. I thought you had realized the truth."

His eyes challenged her, but she didn't falter and simply looked back at him with a neutral countenance.

Gilgamesh heaved a sigh.

"Hmph. You disappoint me, King of Knights. I thought you knew that Kirei became my second Master."

A flash of shock and disbelief appeared in her eyes, but it was quickly gone, and a look of understanding replaced it. It wasn't a real surprise – it actually made sense.

After Irisviel had asked Tokiomi to send Kirei away, the priest had undoubtedly killed Tokiomi and then become Archer's new Master – all with Archer's help, probably. Disgusted, Arturia shook those thoughts away for the moment. She had other things she needed to know.

"And your new Master is not concerned about you being alive? Or me being alive?"

Gilgamesh inclined his glass of wine, looking at the dark red liquid. "He is no longer my Master… and he has more important things he's interested in rather than worrying about two former Servants becoming human… things like that Master of yours."

Arturia lifted an eyebrow, to express her mild interest. She knew that if she was too eager to know, he would not say anything more in annoyance, but if she wasn't interested in the least, then he would bring up other subjects – subjects more of his liking but not of hers.

Swirling the glass in his hand, Gilgamesh continued, "Your former Master has adopted the boy he saved from the Grail's destruction, and has settled down in a house heavily protected by a bounded field. Quite clever, for such a mongrel."

Well. That meant that Kiritsugu was still in Fuyuki, and appeared to have no intentions of going to see his daughter. Information coming from Archer may not be entirely reliable, but he was no liar – that, Arturia knew for sure. He had too much pride to lie.

That meant that her next move was decided. She gave the man in front of her a nod and stood up.

"I'm leaving," she said calmly, but with a very firm tone.

The King of Heroes arched an eyebrow.

"Oh? And where would you be going?"

Arturia considered. What was he going to do with anything she would tell him? He did not appear fond of Kirei, so she doubted he would send that man after her. And she couldn't think of any other repercussions if she told him something generic.

So she took a few steps towards the door, looking at him over her shoulder. "To Germany."

At that, Gilgamesh's expression became the closest thing to curious she had ever seen on his arrogant face. He stood up as well.

"Interesting," he said, his eyes now fixated on her and slightly calculating. "And why Germany, King of Knights? Could it be…" and his eyes flickered, "that you have now figured out what to use this new life for?"

If Arturia was perturbed at his perceptiveness, she did not show it. She simply turned away from him and made her way to the door. He spoke again.

"And how are you going to arrive there, stubborn woman?"

Her hand, already on the door handle, paused for a second. When he called her that, it usually meant he was both annoyed and about to say something that would make her angry at his arrogance. She decided to give an answer.

"I hope you are aware of the fact that there are airplane tickets that can be bought in this era, King of Heroes."

She was about to open the door, but his next words made her stop completely.

"Ah, now that is interesting. I was wondering how you were going to travel there, since you are not able to dematerialize. And the even more interesting thing is… that _I_ can."

The woman turned around to face him and gave him a hard stare.

"The main point of all this talking, Archer-" he lifted and eyebrow and she rolled her eyes internally, "- _Gilgamesh_ , is that you are not coming. So you boasting about your abilities is only making me waste time."

He clicked his tongue.

"An insulting reply, woman. And also wrong. I _am_ coming to Germany – and I refuse to step on those filthy flying machines who can't even hold a candle to my Vimana."

Arturia's eyebrows went up.

"You are _not_ –"

"Don't you think you can order me around, _Arturia_. It so happens that life around here is an incredible boredom, and you so happen to be one of the few people who can interest me. Whatever you intend to do in Germany, observe you will provide sufficient entertainment for me. Not to speak of the fact that I'm giving you the rare opportunity of dematerializing with me – not something I offer lightly."

The woman stayed silent. If she dematerialized, it would take her much less time to go to Germany and she could save the cost of the ticket… who knew if she ever needed money again.

The downside to that was that Archer – fine, she told herself in exasperation, _Gilgamesh_ – would be accompanying her. And… what would he do there? More importantly, what would he do to Illyasviel?

However, she knew that he was not going to accept no as an answer. If he said he would go with her, then he would. The only thing she could do was make the most of the situation. If she was being forced to accept, she would at least make sure that her terms were understood.

Arturia walked back towards the couch and stopped right in front of him. Her expression was stern.

"Are you going to interfere with what I do, or will you only observe?"

The King of Heroes knew he had won then. So he supposed he could give her the answer she wanted.

"As long as you keep me amused, I intend to watch."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"No killing," she said, with a deadly tone.

"Hmph. Quite the conceited request. But I suppose I can spare the mongrels… if they know their place."

Arturia suppressed her irritation at his usual arrogance and gave him a short nod. Then she extended her hand to him. If they were going to go to Germany, they might as well leave immediately. Gilgamesh smirked at her and took her palm. He was mildly surprised to find out that her small, soft hand possessed a strange mixture of a gentle, determined and strong grip, but after a second, he realized that it was perfectly suited for someone like her.

Squeezing her hand, he closed his eyes and activated his dematerialization power.

The two kings disappeared.

...


	5. The Einzbern family

…

...

Arturia had indicated the location of the place she wanted to go to, and Gilgamesh had dematerialized them a few hundred meters away from it.

Landing in the snow-covered property that surrounded the Einzbern residence, Gilgamesh changed his clothes with a wave of his hand and saw Arturia do the same. They were however using their magic to create their wardrobe – and having human bodies, that meant they were slowly draining their own energy. That would prove to be a problem if they didn't find a more adequate solution in a relatively brief amount of time.

While they were walking towards the entrance gates of the Einzbern Castle, Gilgamesh looked at Arturia from the corner of his eye. She had apparently decided what to do, and it involved the Einzberns. He was quite interested in finding out what she was going to do.

When they reached the gates, Arturia stopped him with a motion of her hand.

"There is a protective field surrounding the Einzbern Castle. We have reached the entrance, someone should come soon."

As soon as she had said that, she had to jump back because a spear landed in the place she had been half-a-second before. Other projectiles were thrown at her, but she easily dodged them without breaking a sweat. Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow at her.

She merely glanced back.

"The Einzberns are not known for being overly friendly people."

Suddenly a tall woman with white hair – clearly a homunculus – appeared from nowhere, with a spear in her hand, and tried to stab Gilgamesh. Without even turning around, the King of Heroes extracted a sword from his Gate of Babylon and blocked the hit with such force as to throw the woman several meters away.

Another woman with a similar spear came out of nowhere, and together with the other homunculus readied herself for battle. Both eyed Gilgamesh warily.

"Who are you?" the two homunculi yelled at the two visitors, raising their spears.

Gilgamesh scoffed and dismissively put his sword back into his vault.

"I am appalled at your ignorance, you filthy creatures."

Arturia couldn't help closing her eyes for a second, to gather her patience. Then she started to speak.

"I am Arturia Pendragon, King of Britain and former Servant of Emiya Kiritsugu. And this is–.."

The King of Heroes interrupted her in a haughty voice.

"I am Gilgamesh, King of Babylon – the fact that you don't know who we are is proof of how low your status as mongrels is."

Arturia did her best to keep her temper in check. Must he really be so arrogant the whole time? She was beginning to think that defying _his_ temper and leaving without him would have been a much wiser choice.

But it was too late by then. Therefore, with her best calming voice, she continued, "I would like to speak with Jubstacheit von Einzbern – he knows who I am."

The two homunculi concentrated their attention on her and tried to evaluate her with their eyes. Arturia stared back at them with such a firm gaze to make them uncomfortable. They lowered their weapons and nodded.

"This way," they said simultaneously.

With a warning glance directed at Gilgamesh, Arturia was about to follow the homunculi through the gates, when she remembered something, and said to him in a low voice, "The protective shield will prevent the use of dematerialization."

His eyes narrowed in obvious displeasure, but he did not comment. Relieved about that, Arturia crossed the gates with him right behind her.

They were led to some rooms Arturia had never seen when she had last been there. They were underground and much darker than the rest of the castle. As soon as they were in what appeared to be a sitting room, the two homunculi left them.

After both he and Arturia made their warmer magic clothes disappear, Gilgamesh looked around, noting that the room's décor was more refined than the one he had had to endure at the Tohsaka residence. He took possession of one of the three elegant couches and lay down, making a glass of his favourite red wine appear in his hands.

Arturia sat down on another couch, waiting for the head of the Einzbern family to make his appearance.

It had been fairly easy to enter the residence, but she knew that convincing Jubstacheit to allow them to stay was another matter entirely. The best way to make the man agree was to avoid being direct – and unfortunately, that was not what she was good at. She would have to be as vague as possible and let him make his assumptions, because that was one of his main defects.

He had no honour – and to make him give in, she would have to use that against him.

All of a sudden, an almost invisible door on the other side of the room opened and Jubstacheit von Einzbern made his appearance.

The old man was dressed in white as usual and his hair and beard, of the same colour, trembled synchronized with every step he took. His dark but empty eyes landed on the woman sitting on the couch and he raised an eyebrow.

"Saber," he said. "Seeing you here is quite unexpected. I had been informed that the Grail War had ended."

With a deliberately steady and void tone, Arturia replied, "It has."

She noticed from the corner of her eye that her words had piqued Gilgamesh's interest. He was aware of the fact that she was a very direct person, therefore seeing her acting differently had made him curious.

Good. That was exactly what she wanted: to make him curious enough to stay silent.

Jubstacheit was not used to not having his indirect questions answered. "Where is Kiritsugu, then?"

Again, Arturia's reply remained deliberately neutral. "He failed."

Both men in the room were now completely concentrated on her. Jubstacheit came forward to seat himself on the only unoccupied couch, and that was when he noticed the King of Heroes's presence. His inquisitive eyes widened slightly as he recognized him. His gaze darted back to Arturia.

"What is the meaning of this…?"

Arturia inclined her head slightly and decided it was time to begin to explain… just a little.

"Irisviel became the Grail vessel, as you had anticipated. But Kiritsugu failed in winning the Grail."

Jubstacheit looked at her intently.

"Saber. Having failed, Kiritsugu is of course not welcome here anymore. You are Kiritsugu's Servant and–"

Normally, she would have never interrupted anyone who was talking, but she forced herself to do it that one time.

" _Was_ ," she said, with the same detached tone. "I am no longer his Servant."

She allowed him a second to absorb that information, and then asked, with a very deliberate tone, "How is Illyasviel?"

Jubstacheit's expression was the closest thing to confusion that he was able to show. He weighed her with his gaze, thinking. She was no longer a Servant… Kiritsugu had failed in his mission to win the Grail… and she wanted to know how Illyasviel was. His eyes became calculating. Could it be…?

In that moment, when she saw that Jubstacheit had assumed the wrong thing, Arturia detested her own actions. Deceiving was wrong… even if she had not explicitly done it – she had been more… _contriving_ than truly deceiving –, she had said the right things at the right time to make sure that Jubstacheit's thoughts went where she wanted them to.

She also noticed that the King of Heroes was looking at her with amusement in his eyes – he had understood much more than Jubstacheit.

She ignored him and instead continued, with a very carefully blank tone, "I would like to stay here and… watch over Illyasviel… if you allow it, of course." And her eyes pierced the ones of the Old Man Acht, leader of the Einzbern family.

She had made sure to make it look like he had a choice in the matter.

Jubstacheit would not give in easily, she knew that, because he was not stupid – he was just a bit too quick in making assumptions.

The old man knew who the woman in front of him was… he was aware of how strong she was, and how beneficial it would be to have her near Illyasviel to help train the child as the future Grail vessel. He was going to see the benefits of her presence there… and not consider the possibility of her having different intentions. However, he still didn't know how and why she was no longer a Servant. He had noticed that she seemed to be a human, not a spirit.

"How come that you are no longer a Heroic Spirit?" he asked her.

Arturia held his gaze firmly.

"That is a rather… interesting question."

Her tone was blank as usual, but it clearly said that she was not going to tell him anything else.

Jubstacheit's eyes narrowed and his gaze landed on the King of Heroes, who was still silently sipping his wine on the couch.

"How is the Heroic Spirit Gilgamesh alive and together with you?"

Arturia gave an almost imperceptible sigh and very nearly smiled.

" _That_ is an even more interesting question."

She knew that she had said enough; Jubstacheit would make his – wrong – assumptions based on her vague words. He would probably think that, since she and Gilgamesh apparently got along, they had the same goals. She honestly didn't care about what he thought, as long as he didn't try to interfere with what she had in mind.

Even if he was not like Kiritsugu, Arturia was under no illusions: Jubstacheit von Einzbern was a heartless and cruel man, who had done many, many terrible things. However, since he was currently in control of Illyasviel's life, she had to make sure not to let him realize her true intentions.

The old white-haired man weighed her with his eyes for a while longer. Then he stood up. Looking between her and the other king, he said slowly, "You are welcome to stay here, Saber… and Gilgamesh, of course, too."

The King of Heroes stood up from the couch, with the glass of wine in hand and a very arrogant look on his face. "I expect the rest of the castle to be decent, if the Einzberns' reputation is to be believed… but I have my doubts."

Arturia would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't been controlling her facial expression so hard. She decided to let his comment slide, since Jubstacheit did not seem to be angry about it. So she stood up from the couch as well and gave a slight nod to the old man.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

Then she added, "May I see Illyasviel? I am not sure whether she remembers me or not."

Jubstacheit nodded to her and stood up.

"The servants will take you to her." Then he looked at Gilgamesh. "If you agree, I will have them show you your rooms, too."

After receiving a disdainful expression from the King of Heroes, Jubstacheit left from the same door he had come from, assuring them that the servants were about to come.

Before anyone arrived, Gilgamesh gave a short laugh. His blood-red eyes were fixed on the King of Knights.

"I must say that I am astonished, Arturia. I would not have expected something so… artful from a righteous person like you."

Her look of contempt only made him lift an eyebrow in amusement, and he continued, "That was done rather impressively, though… to simply let the supposedly astute head of the Einzbern reach the wrong conclusions… I commend you on your cleverness, King of Knights."

Luckily, the task of having to find an adequate answer was successfully dodged thanks to the arrival of two servants. One of them addressed Arturia and the other one Gilgamesh.

The two kings went on their separate ways.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After leaving the underground chambers, Arturia was led to what appeared to be a comfortable living room, with two elegant couches, a table next to the window and a few chairs around it. Sitting on one of them, with a book in front of her, was a young girl with long white hair and dark red eyes – Irisviel's spitting image.

The servant who had accompanied her left with a bow, and Arturia acknowledged her with a slight tilt of her head. As soon as the door was closed again, she brought her attention to the girl.

Illyasviel.

The little girl had looked up from her book and set it aside as soon as she had heard the door of the room open, and was now staring at her with a curious look in her eyes. Arturia took a deep breath – but made sure it wasn't noticeable. It wasn't the time to beat around the bush.

"Hi, Illyasviel. I am Arturia Pendragon. It's nice to see you again."

A light of recognition appeared in her eyes, and the girl stood up beaming at her.

"I remember you, Arturia! Mommy told me that you were going to help her and daddy on their mission!"

The King of Knights almost flinched at those words. She was not used to having to tell anyone that their loved ones were no more – especially not to a child.

But Illyasviel was a very perceptive girl, as she immediately found out. Her dark red eyes filled with sadness as she looked at Arturia.

"Mommy and daddy… are not going to come back, are they?"

Arturia, for the first time, found it very difficult to tell the truth. But she would not lie – and especially not to Illyasviel. So she slowly shook her head.

The girl looked down at the floor and remained silent for a few minutes. Then she went back to her chair and sat down again. Arturia followed her and took out a chair for herself, silently sitting down.

Illyasviel's eyes landed on her once more.

"Are they dead?" she asked, with her voice slightly wavering.

Arturia looked her in the eye.

"Your father is alive, Illyasviel. But… I'm afraid he is not going to be able to come and visit you."

The girl's expression was a bit puzzled, therefore Arturia elaborated, "I will explain another day… but, even if the… mission… has ended, he is not allowed to come back here."

The girl's expression seemed to be less confused at that statement.

"It has something to do with Grandfather, right?"

Hiding a surprised look at the girl's acuity, Arturia gave her a short nod. It wasn't the time to explain the matter between Jubstacheit and Kiritsugu to Illyasviel… but the girl was unusually bright for her young age.

Her eyes turned sad again. "You said that daddy is alive. But that means that mommy…?"

Arturia closed her eyes, and that was already answer enough for her.

"I'm sorry, Illyasviel."

The girl's dark red eyes looked at her with a confused expression.

"Why are you apologizing? It's kind of you to come and see me… and it's kind of you to not treat me like a little child. Thank you, Arturia."

Of all the things she expected from the girl, gratitude was not one of them.

Arturia was reminded of the fact that she was Irisviel's daughter… and she seemed to be as kind-hearted as her mother was.

Trying to find something meaningful to say, she looked around the room. Observing the couches, she absent-mindedly noted that Gilgamesh would have appreciated them – and she silently reprimanded herself for letting her thoughts wander to him –, and then her attention landed on the vast library in the corner.

"I believe you are not taking your studies lightly," she said, noticing several books about Magecraft piled up and full of bookmarks.

The girl nodded.

"Grandfather, when he visits, always explains how important it is to know how to use magic properly, and I have to learn quickly."

"You were studying this?" Arturia asked her, looking at the book on the table between them.

Illyasviel followed her gaze and grimaced slightly.

"I was, but it's very difficult to understand… with many words I don't know, and I don't have a dictionary… nor anyone to ask questions to."

And the child looked down in sadness.

Arturia's eyes landed on the book again, weighing her chances. She was no Magus – and the book was obviously about Magecraft. But she knew quite a bit about it… and she could at least offer to explain the difficult terms to the girl. Therefore she looked at her, mentally preparing for the suggestion she was going to make.

"Would you like to go through it again with me?"

Surprised, the white-haired girl looked up and her dark red eyes met Arturia's steady green ones. As soon as she realized that the offer was a genuine one, Illyasviel smiled – the first real smile the former King of Britain had seen on her face.

"Yes, please, Arturia!" she answered with enthusiasm. She put the book between them and her expression betrayed her eagerness to learn.

Before beginning, though, she raised her eyes in a more shy expression than before.

"Arturia?" she said timidly. The King of Knights gave her a slightly questioning look. "I would like for you to call me Illya."

And that was how the two girls' friendship began.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

When mealtime came that evening, a good part of the Magecraft book had already been seen through… and Illya was happy and proud at having learned so much. When the servants summoned them for dinner, the little girl grasped Arturia's hand – surprising her – and escorted her to a large dining hall.

There they found a person waiting for them. Arturia shortly introduced him to Illya.

"This is Gilgamesh. He came here with me. Gilgamesh, this is Illyasviel von Einzbern."

The King of Heroes did not speak much – he simply looked the girl over and said, "Daughter of the vessel, I presume."

Arturia glared at him. Illya had luckily not heard him… and as they sat down, she looked between him and the woman with interest.

With curiosity, she said, "Are you two related?"

Green and red eyes landed on her, a bit surprised and curious about what had originated such a question.

She candidly explained, "You have both something regal in your countenance, in the way you walk, sit and talk."

Arturia was slightly taken aback, but she had already realized the girl's cleverness hours before. She did not look at Gilgamesh to see his reaction.

"We are not related, Illya. But we were both kings at some point."

After that sentence, she changed the subject. She and Illya started to talk about the things they had studied together that day, and the little girl's words implied that she hoped for her help again in the future.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

While they were eating dinner – for once not coming from his Gate of Babylon – Gilgamesh didn't take his eyes off the woman he had accompanied there.

He could not deny it – he was _very_ fascinated by her.

She had apparently decided to look after the little girl and presumably change her destiny – it was something he hadn't really expected, but it wasn't surprising considering the kind of person she was.

He found it a bit ironic. Only some weeks before he had dismissed Kirei, who was going to babysit the Tohsaka brat, because he wanted to follow Arturia… and Arturia was apparently going to babysit the Einzbern brat.

What he found even more ironic was the fact that, in her case, he did not think it was boring to observe.

What he now wanted to do was to see if she would succeed in the mission she had apparently set for herself. She was a woman who was _always_ taking on burdens… he wanted to see if a time would come in which she would eventually break under their weight.

He had to admit, however, that he was mildly impressed with the amount of burdens she was already carrying – and she didn't appear to vacillate underneath them.

That trait of hers was what made her so interesting. Everything she did, as mundane and simple as it was, caught his eye – because _she_ was doing it, and she had her own way of thinking, acting, doing everything…

He was incredibly interested in seeing what she was going to do, especially now that she had a life to live… a life she had actually _not_ wanted.

...


	6. Teaching Illya

…

...

During the following days, Arturia continued to help Illya with her studies – and she quickly realized that both she and the girl enjoyed it. Helping Illya like that was not a sacrifice on her part – and she was improving the girl's education in many ways. She knew that Irisviel would have appreciated it, and it was enough to make her feel content with what she was doing.

They were usually in the living room in which she had been introduced on the day of her arrival – and her unwanted thought about the King of Heroes proved to be right. He stayed in the same room as them, lying down on one of the couches and apparently paying no attention to them to simply sip on his wine.

None of the servants interrupted them, unless it was to call them for the meals. Arturia had asked Illya about it, and had found out that the girl was often alone, because her 'Grandfather' came to see her no more than once every other month. Servants who provided them with everything they needed – food, clothes, anything they might need – were always ready around both Illya and the two former Heroic Spirits, but they were left on their own most of the time.

Not that Arturia was complaining. On the contrary, that fact gave her the possibility to fully look after the child.

In the first few weeks, Illya had several questions about the 'mission' her parents had had to go on… and Arturia had decided to be honest with her. Even if she was young, she was not stupid, and the woman believed it was best for her to understand the truth about what had happened as early as possible – so she would not become a pawn for the Einzberns.

Arturia left out many gruesome details, but she explained what the Holy Grail War had been about and how they had had to fight to the death with other participants. Illya was quite horrified, but was glad for having been told the truth and for the fact that Arturia was not treating her like a kid.

Questions about the war also brought questions about its end. Arturia was a bit vaguer about that, because she had no intention of making her dislike for Kiritsugu too apparent in front of his daughter. However, she explained that the Grail had been destroyed and therefore her father's mission had failed. Since he had failed, the Einzberns were not welcoming him back, and that was why he could not visit her.

Arturia was pleased to find out that Illya understood all that. She made sure to explain both points of view, the Einzberns' and Kiritsugu's – even if it wasn't his fault the mission had failed, the Einzberns were angry at him and didn't allow his return.

Illya understood the reasoning… but she did not approve of it, exactly as Arturia wished.

The woman told the child that the only way to see her father was to learn enough to be able to leave on her own and go visit him herself – if he couldn't go to her, then she could go to him. Illya was very excited at the idea, and in her enthusiasm revealed that she didn't really trust her grandfather. Hearing that made Arturia even more pleased – the girl was really bright, and there was the concrete possibility of her refusing to accept her already written destiny.

Illya then shyly asked her if she would help her… not only to learn more, but also to grow and fulfil her wish to see her father.

Such a request took the former King of Britain by surprise… but she felt honoured by it, too. Therefore, she smiled warmly at the girl and told her that, since she had been her father's Servant and her mother's friend, she was gladly going to be there for her.

Arturia wasn't sure what her thoughts about Kiritsugu were. She was not going to hate him, out of consideration for Illya, but she was never going to _like_ him either. However, she couldn't help noticing how the young girl really seemed to miss him. Knowing that he was alive and not being able to communicate with him made her very sad.

Arturia wished she could do something about her sadness… because she knew she was slowly beginning to care about the girl, and not just for Irisviel's sake.

The thought of Irisviel made her come up with a solution.

She had made a mental note one day, while finishing her lesson with Illya. In the evening, after the girl had gone to sleep, she went to the huge library of the Einzbern Castle (the servants had showed it to her when she had asked for more Magecraft volumes) and began to go through the books in determination.

Unbeknownst to her, Gilgamesh was sitting in the darkness of the room, observing her behaviour.

After almost half an hour of picking out books and going through them quickly – and also finding a manual about sports cars that made her think of Irisviel's reckless driving abilities –, the King of Knights finally smiled in victory. For a few minutes, she looked intently at the pages that had the parts that interested her, then she took a bookmark from one of the shelves and put it in the book before closing it. Taking it with her, she made her way back to the living room, where she usually went when she had something to read.

She was mildly surprised at not finding Gilgamesh on one of the sofas, but her mind was set on the book in her hands and she didn't really concern herself with his absence. She sat down at the table where she and Illya did their studies during the day, and began to read through the parts of the book again, opening it where the bookmark was.

About an hour later, she didn't even realize that the King of Heroes had slipped back into the room and was looking at her with mild curiosity. She was therefore startled when he addressed her.

"It's rare to see you so dedicated when preparing another lesson for the girl."

Snapping her head up, Arturia's gaze was slightly unfocused… and she met Gilgamesh's amused stare. She shook her head, with a slight tilt of her lips, which intrigued him even more.

"This is not exactly a lesson for Illya… or better, it will be one… But it's an important one."

Gilgamesh furrowed his brow slightly. It was not like her to give an unclear or incomplete answer. Noticing his irritation, she gave another slight smile – surprising him even more, because she never smiled at him.

"You will just have to wait and see, King of Heroes."

That sentence was so close to teasing that Gilgamesh's mouth almost dropped open in shock. Since when had she been so… _relaxed_ in his presence?

Completely immersed in the book again, however, Arturia did not notice.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

A few days later, Arturia presented the book to Illya and showed her some important pages. They contained the detailed instructions on how to use magic to create a powerful variation of the crystal ball spell… and therefore become able to see people who were far away. Arturia explained that, if enforced enough, the spell would have the strength to go through any bounded field that protected Kiritsugu, and therefore Illya would be able to see her father.

Illya was ecstatic at the idea of being able to see him, and excitedly asked if they could begin to practice the spell immediately. Arturia gave her permission, but warned her that it might take a while to learn the specifics of the enchantment.

The little girl, however, had a persistent streak in her, and after less than a week managed to master the spell. She was ready to use the magic to finally see her father again.

Before allowing her to do it – the woman usually kindly supervised what the girl did, making sure she did not exert herself too much –, Arturia had to tell Illya something she knew very little about, but felt was best addressed immediately.

She explained to her that, after the war, Kiritsugu had saved a boy from the destruction that had followed, and had later adopted him.

The King of Knights was worried about telling Illya such a thing – she feared the girl might feel hurt, thinking her father favoured the boy over her.

But Illya smiled widely and said that that such an act was something she would expect her father to do.

Arturia smiled, too, and was grateful for the fact that not only was Illya a very bright child, but she was also very similar to her mother Irisviel.

Illya was able to use the crystal ball spell… even if it took her a few more days to maintain it for more than a handful of seconds. The glimpses she got from her father showed him around a young red-haired boy, and even if he seemed peaceful, there was an obvious sadness surrounding him.

The young girl was happy at seeing her parent again – and having the possibility to see Kiritsugu sometimes was enough for her. She wanted to learn more, learn enough to be able to leave and go see him in person… but, at least for the time being, observing him through a crystal ball made her content.

Arturia's gaze landed on the white head of hair that was curved over yet another book of magic and mentally smiled at the girl's never-ending energy and curiosity.

 _I will watch over her_ , she promised herself. _I will watch over your daughter for you, Irisviel._

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

In the following weeks and months, the little girl learned and grew.

Illya and Arturia fell into a sort of routine. They usually sat at a table in front of each other, while progressing with the girl's studies. Arturia wasn't a Magus, but she knew quite a bit about Magecraft and she read through the books with Illya, educating herself as well as the girl.

Gilgamesh was always in the same room as them, lounging on the sofa, sipping on his eternal glass of wine (he had once diffidently agreed to try beer – he had not been impressed). He hardly ever talked, but since he did not disturb them neither did he try to do anything preposterous like give the alcohol to the young child, Arturia didn't complain about his presence.

She found it sometimes puzzling – he had said he would not interfere as long as she kept him amused, and she couldn't understand, for the life of her, what she was possibly doing to keep him amused. Since he wasn't interfering, it meant that he wasn't bored – yet. It was probably best to leave it at that, even if it was strange.

Usually, in the afternoons, Illya watched Arturia spar. Now that she had a real body, the King of Knights had to work out to keep in shape, as she had started to do while she was still in Fuyuki – and she did not intend to slack off. Illya wouldn't join her – the body of a homunculus was not strong enough for such exertion. However, Arturia did not wish for her to rely on magic alone if she ever had to defend herself, therefore she gently convinced Illya to begin to go through a series of simple movements every day, movements she carefully selected to improve the child's flexibility and her physical resistance.

The King of Heroes never sparred with her. He usually didn't come to the garden where they did their exercises, but when he did come, he only observed them – as always. Arturia was certain that he worked out as well to keep in shape – even if she had never seen him do so. She did not even know _when_ he worked out, since in the evenings, after Illya had been put to bed, he was again on the couch or occasionally on an armchair while she read aloud, but she didn't actually care. What the King of Heroes did with his time did not concern her, as long as he didn't interfere with her work.

Reading aloud in the evening was not really for Gilgamesh's benefit – even if that was the only moment in which he actually made comments and talked to her, and they interacted a bit. It was to keep herself awake, too. Having a real body made Arturia need to rest more than in the past. But she wanted to continue to learn more about the story of the past wars and the Grail.

She had noticed that for some reason Jubstacheit, having once seen her in the library, seemed not too keen on allowing her free access to it. That alone told her that he had something to hide, probably something huge. He knew more than what he let on.

In the rare times in which they met, another thing in his behaviour had raised Arturia's suspicions. She had not given away any details, but she had confirmed Kiritsugu's failure in obtaining the Grail. Jubstacheit had not pursued Kiritsugu to kill him or punish him; as the servants had told her, he had simply put up a barrier to keep him out, preventing him from ever seeing Illya again.

And while Arturia could very much see the cruelty of it, she knew it was mild compared to the usual Einzberns' course of action. It was almost as if the Einzbern leader, even if obsessed with winning, had _expected_ Kiritsugu to fail in the struggle for the Grail. Something was wrong in that.

That whole state of things worried Arturia – mostly for Illya's sake. The little girl had understood the reason for her father's absence – and for that, Arturia was grateful. But remaining with the Einzberns… who knew what her destiny would be.

No, she had to correct herself… she knew it very well. Unless something changed, she would be forced to become a tool… just like her mother.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

"Arturia."

It was rare for the King of Heroes to address her directly as he did one evening. She paused in her – for once – silent reading and looked up from the book.

"You came to Germany… to look after your former Master's daughter, who is destined to become a Grail vessel."

Arturia's gaze was lost in the distance.

"For Irisviel," she simply answered.

It was short, but she knew enough about Gilgamesh by then to be sure that he would understand what she wasn't saying – as well as she had been able to understand his unspoken question. If there was something that she had learned about him during the past months, it was the he had some strange wisdom – and he was very perceptive.

At least, when it came to her.

She resumed her reading, the conversation with him over for the night.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

"Arturia?"

Illya's voice broke through the silence of the room and the woman she was addressing looked up from the book she was going through. A little girl in her pyjamas was looking at her with slightly sleepy eyes. Arturia lifted an eyebrow.

"Illya, why are you not in bed? What happened?"

The girl's eyes turned a bit sad and she averted them from her.

"I…" she swallowed. "I… couldn't sleep."

Arturia's eyebrows were now both lifted. Her gaze, focused on the child, turned pensive.

She stood up, closing the book in her hands – while making a mental note of the page she had stopped on – and gestured for Illya to follow her to the sofa. Or better, to one of the sofas, because Gilgamesh was occupying the other one. Arturia sat down and Illya snuggled next to her, taking a pillow between her arms. The woman rested her questioning gaze on her, waiting.

The little girl looked down at the pattern on the sofa's pillow and hesitated. Without lifting her gaze, she murmured, "Arturia, will you… will you tell me something about my parents?"

Arturia froze. Now that was a request she hadn't seen coming. It had been some weeks since Illya had learned the crystal ball spell, and she had not seemed sadder or more wishful since then.

The King of Knights's eyes remained on the little girl for a while. She could not exactly… refuse, could she? Illya missed her parents… and she had only asked her to tell her something about them.

The woman also understood… she wished for something called 'bedtime story'.

Arturia mentally sighed. She was not good with that kind of things. But for Illya, she would try.

She thought for a while. She wasn't going to talk about Kiritsugu, because she doubted she could be impartial, but about Irisviel… what could she tell Illya about her mother?

"Did you know, Illya, that Irisviel loved driving?"

Illya's interest was piqued, and she gave Arturia a happy smile for accepting her weird request. From the other sofa, Gilgamesh looked intently at them both.

Arturia almost smiled, remembering the white-haired woman she had come close to considering a friend.

"She enjoyed sports cars – of all types, and she loved driving fast on the streets of Japan. She considered them her new… playground, and cars were toys for her." Supressing another smile, Arturia added, "She was disappointed when, after a while, I told her that we were going to switch and _I_ was going to drive."

Illya smiled and almost giggled.

"That sounds like mommy," she said. Then her expression turned sadder. "I miss her."

Arturia extended her arm to the little child and put her hand over her smaller one. She gave her a small but genuine smile.

"Illya, I can't bring your mother back to you. But I have memories of her… and I will share them with you every time you ask."

Illya returned her smile with a grateful one of her own, even after Arturia retracted her hand. However, her eyes turned sad and troubled again after a moment.

"Arturia… did daddy know that mommy could die during the war?"

The King of Knights did not wish to lie to Illya.

"Yes, he did."

The child's expression turned frustrated.

"Then… why did he let her go? If he knew that she was going to die in the war, then why did he allow her to go with him? Did daddy… did daddy care about mommy… at all?"

She threw her pillow away from her, on the other side of the sofa, and crossed her arms, the slight trembling of her lips indicating that she was holding back tears.

Arturia leaned towards the girl, looking her in the eye seriously.

"Illya… I do not know how and why Kiritsugu and Irisviel made the choices they did, because I am not them and I cannot claim to have known them well enough. But one thing I know for sure… Kiritsugu loved Irisviel, very dearly. Aside from the very last orders, the only time… in which he truly used a Command Spell on me… was when she had gone missing." The bright green eyes of the former King of Britain were clear and earnest. "Your father cared deeply about your mother, Illya. He had a strange way of showing it, but he truly did all he could for her sake."

The eyes of the little girl were reassured, but they were also beginning to droop slowly. It was late, after all, and she was tired. Arturia noticed it and continued to speak in a calm tone, repeating to her that her parents loved each other and loved her as well. She only stopped talking when Illya's breathing had evened out and she was fast asleep on the sofa.

Silently, Arturia stood up, took a folded blanket from a chair and covered the young child's form with it. To her mild surprise, Gilgamesh stood up as well and, without a word, followed her as she took her book and left the room, turning off the lights there. Outside in the hallway, as soon as she closed the door behind them both, he addressed her.

"What was that, King of Knights?" His eyes were slightly narrowed at her.

Reading her confusion in her eyes, he added, "You are perfectly aware of the fact that your Master was having sexual relations with the sniper woman. And yet, you still told the child that her parents loved each other? I thought you were no liar, _Arturia_."

She didn't wish to speak with Gilgamesh – especially not about Kiritsugu. However, something about the look he was giving her made her reconsider. His red eyes were almost hostile towards her in that moment, but also held a little amount of something else.

It seemed… as if he really wanted to hear her answer. She didn't know his motives for asking her such a thing, but it appeared to be mostly out of curiosity.

She suppressed a small sigh before staring back at him. "I did not lie, Gilgamesh. Even if he often appeared to show the opposite, Kiritsugu truly cared about Irisviel."

The King of Heroes's eyes narrowed even more at her. "You dislike your former Master… and yet you defend him."

It was Arturia's time to narrow her eyes. "I consider Kiritsugu as great a fiend as the other opponents in the war… but he is also a very complex man. I don't know about his past…" and her eyes seemed to be momentarily lost in the distance, "…and therefore I cannot judge him fully, even considering his many flaws."

Gilgamesh let out a short laugh, the sound strange, almost bitter. "So, you have come to this, Arturia? Forgiving everyone?"

Her eyes hardened, as did her voice. "That is not a question I expected from someone usually so perceptive," she told him a bit brusquely. "I may have come to understand my former Master slightly better, but that doesn't mean that I will ever forgive him."

Her expression was so firm and resolute then, that Gilgamesh couldn't stop himself from taking a step in her direction to have a better look at her face. With his eyes focused on her, his lips slowly stretched into a smirk… a strangely proud one.

Yes, he was truly enjoying his time around this woman.

In some ways, a person like Rider had been worthy of his respect… but the fact that he had repeatedly refused to recognize Arturia Pendragon as a king proved that he didn't know what being a king entailed, nor did he know what being a king was – because indeed, _she_ truly was one.

His smirk widened slightly.

"Good night, King of Knights," he said, before turning around and leaving.

...


	7. Child's requests

…

...

Every evening, after Illya had been put to bed, Arturia went back to the living room, where Gilgamesh was on one of the couches, and she read aloud from various books.

After the night in which the girl had come up asking about her parents, however, the routine changed. The two adults accompanied the child to her room, Arturia helped her to bed and read a story to her – usually a novel, because Illya seemed to favour them. As soon as she fell asleep, the former Servants left and went back to their normal evenings.

After a while, Gilgamesh stopped going to the girl's bedroom – he couldn't care less about the fairy tales Arturia was sometimes persuaded to read for Illya, therefore he simply waited in the living room for the woman to join him and read aloud.

One evening though, she did not come. The King of Heroes was not a person who tolerated being kept waiting. When too much time had passed, he stood up from the couch. Annoyed at having had to wait and then having to look for her, too, he went to search for her in her rooms. She was not there though, therefore, even more annoyed, he went to the library, only to come out empty handed again.

Quite irritated, he could think of only another place: Illya's bedroom. He went there, opening the door without hesitation.

And he froze.

Arturia was on the girl's bed, next to her, with her hand gently held in the child's smaller grasp, and both were breathing evenly, fast asleep. But that sight was not what had made the King of Heroes freeze.

It was Arturia's expression. It was a very, very unusual one… relaxed and peaceful.

She never had such an expression when she was awake.

Very quietly, Gilgamesh closed the door of the room again. He most certainly would not try to go in – he knew that the King of Knights's senses were sharp, and he had no wish to have an invisible Excalibur pointed at his throat. He had heard from the servants that it had happened to one of the butlers when he had tried to wake her up one morning… she had almost beheaded him.

Even though Gilgamesh knew that it would take more than that to do him some real harm, he still did not wish to… disturb her in her sleep.

He realized that he wasn't annoyed at having been kept waiting earlier… not anymore.

That thought was, to some extent… unsettling. When had that stubborn woman begun to hold that much power over _him_?

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Arturia was the one whose voice was heard the most around the castle. She read and studied all the lessons together with Illya – the child loved to listen –, she explained the things that weren't clear both during the lessons and during sparring time, she read the little girl stories in the evenings, she read aloud from books at night… In short, she did a lot of talking.

The problem was that Arturia was now a human… and as such, she could become sick. She was a very strong woman, though, therefore it was highly unlikely it would happen… but something was _bound_ to happen.

And it did. By talking so much, Arturia ended up losing her voice completely for a few days.

The homunculi who served in the castle were all quite proficient in healing magic, but there was nothing that could be done. Arturia received instructions to rest for some time in her rooms, and Illya was dismayed at finding out that she wasn't even allowed to spend time with her beloved tutor.

She did her studying on her own for the first time in months, and she found it much more difficult and boring than usual. Learning Magecraft was not easy, and Illya was the kind of person who remembered things better if she repeated them with someone else. But Arturia was not there, and she had not the courage to ask the King of Heroes for help.

The little girl was still a bit intimidated by Gilgamesh. She often forgot that he was in the same room as her and Arturia, but he was always so silent that it was easy to fail to remember his presence. And since he was always so quiet it was difficult for her to guess what he was thinking… except when it came to the King of Knights.

When she had actually had the occasion to observe him, Illya had seen how his attention was always on Arturia and on every little thing she did.

Aside from his obvious interest in the green-eyed woman, however, the girl had only seen his arrogance. What she knew about him was not enough for her to ask him for help in her studies.

However, the evening of that first day without Arturia, Illya was so unhappy that she forgot her fears. She had spent the whole day in complete silence, going through difficult lessons alone and without having the possibility to exchange a word with anyone. She deeply missed Arturia, not only for the help she always gave her, but also for her calming presence and her genuinely caring nature that made her company so pleasant.

In her pyjamas and with a book in her hands, the white-haired girl went to the couch on which the King of Heroes was lying and timidly cleared her voice. She had not spoken the whole day and she felt her throat completely dry. But she also knew enough about the personality of the proud king to be certain that tugging on his sleeve or anything of the kind would not be tolerated… and she needed to remain on his good side.

His red eyes landed on her, with both haughtiness and inquisitiveness. Illya did her best to ignore her anxiety.

"Would you please read for me?" Her voice came out hoarse and slightly croaky.

The King of Heroes raised an eyebrow. The kid had the gall to come up to not only speak to him, but also make a _request_? He scoffed. What audacity. She must have picked that up from the green-eyed woman, without a doubt.

Turning his gaze away from her, he coldly dismissed her.

"Forget it, girl. You have domestics for these things."

Illya felt herself becoming both angry and frustrated. Why? Why was he like that? She proceeded to voice her thoughts, looking at him with a cross expression on her young face.

"Why is Arturia such a nice person and you such a mean one? Why are you _always_ like this? Why-"

She suddenly stopped and took a deep breath. Gilgamesh had looked at her with indifference at her outburst, but her abrupt halt had captured his attention, and her next words did that even more.

In a lower voice, as if she was speaking to herself, and with her eyes closed, Illya murmured, "Arturia says that anger almost never gets the desired results… I have to calm down."

Before Gilgamesh could do anything more than stare at her, the little girl's eyes opened again and a determined expression, oddly similar to Arturia's firm one, settled on her features. She lifted the book she was holding in her hands and showed it to him.

The King of Heroes could not deny that he was impressed by her choice.

' _King Arthur's Legends_ '.

No wonder she was asking _him_ to read it to her – she would not ask Arturia herself to read about her life, and she obviously did not want the servants to know more about the woman.

Gilgamesh debated with himself. He was interested in reading the book, too – and the girl had managed to catch his attention. He mentally sighed in annoyance. She was Arturia's protégée… he could agree to give her the honour of listening to him.

He sat up on the sofa.

"Only as long as it amuses me, girl," he told her warningly.

Illya couldn't control her excited smile and quickly went to the other couch and settled herself on it, with her head on a pillow. She was sure he would not allow her to be on the same couch as him.

Gilgamesh felt strange as he opened the book and as the child looked towards him in expectation. Was that what Arturia felt every time she did the same thing? It was… not an unpleasant sensation.

He dismissed the thought and began to read.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After listening to a few stories, Illya fell asleep on the couch. Gilgamesh stopped reading and closed the book.

He had to admit to himself that he had been entertained enough by the activity. It had been interesting to read some legends from Arturia's life… and reading aloud was not too bad. It was what the King of Knights did every day, after all.

The girl had also been quiet and an attentive listener.

Overall, it had not been an unpleasant evening, he mused.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following day, Arturia was still on resting orders, therefore Illya had to study on her own again.

But after a few hours, she felt too lonely and confused by the difficult subjects to continue. Remembering the previous evening's success, she looked at the King of Heroes, who was on the couch, with a questioning gaze. She wondered if he would help her with her studies.

As soon as she opened her mouth to ask him, though, he spoke.

"Don't even think about asking, girl. I am not Arturia. Do something on your own, for once."

The cold rebuke made her flinch. She had a slight headache already, because she was studying very difficult Magecraft, and she would have liked to discuss it with someone to understand it better.

The servants might be able to listen… but she was tired from the work she had already done. She considered the idea of taking a break. If she made a pause, what could she do in the meantime?

A small smile appeared on her lips. She jumped from her chair and took the book about the Arthurian Legends, which was on the couch next to where she had fallen asleep the previous night.

She walked up to Gilgamesh's couch with a shy expression. She bit her lip.

"Will you please read to me a little more? I would like to hear about Arturia's past again."

The King of Heroes had not expected her to ask him that. He was interested in reading more legends about King Arthur… but he didn't want to come even _close_ to the idea of babysitting a brat.

His red eyes narrowed. It would be the last time he read for the girl.

He took the book Illya was holding and opened it at the page he had stopped on the previous day.

By sunset, the small volume was finished and the white-haired girl was asleep. Gilgamesh told himself that, even if he had been quite entertained while reading about Arturia's feats, it was the last time he kept the little girl company like that.

However, the next day Arturia still hadn't recovered and Illya had to study alone again. In the afternoon, after going through the daily exercises the King of Knights had taught her, she walked up to Gilgamesh's couch again, with little smile and a book in her hands.

He gave her quite the hard look. He was about to tell her that he would _not_ be reading anything once more… when she prevented him from speaking by showing him the title of the book.

' _Epic of Gilgamesh_ '.

"Will you please read this for me?" she gently asked.

He noticed, however, that her smile was slightly smug. She knew that a book with stories about himself would catch his interest.

Instead of feeling irritated, he almost smirked at her little deviousness. Perhaps it was Arturia's influence or perhaps not, but the girl was proving to be quite entertaining in her own way.

He sat up on the couch, taking the book. Illya, without realizing what she was doing, sat down on the same couch, even if not next to him.

The King of Heroes read the stories until the book was finished. By then, the white-haired child was asleep beside him. He felt a little annoyed at having her there, but he admitted that it had been quite amusing to read about his own life in a book. She had been rather cunning in choosing such a story… he wondered briefly if the idea had come from Arturia.

He disregarded the thought and looked down at the child again, pensive. Even though reading aloud to her had not been a bad experience, he was _not_ doing it again. He was at the Einzbern Castle to observe Arturia's actions towards the vessel's daughter, not to take her place in looking after her. She had better have her voice back by the following morning.

He frowned when he was struck with a thought. In the last months, he had stopped considering Illya a half-homunculus… he had come to consider her a young girl.

He almost shook his head at himself.

Being around a person like Arturia… was making him… change.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The next day, Arturia had indeed her voice back… and she was ready to begin the lessons with Illya again. The two studied together the whole morning and then went to the garden to do their exercises in the afternoon. Gilgamesh had been on the couch, listening to them, and had not followed them outside.

After going through the exercises, Illya told Arturia about what the King of Heroes had done the previous days.

She smilingly explained, "He read two books for me!"

Arturia, with a completely straight face, walked up to her and firmly put a hand on the young girl's forehead.

"Do you have a fever, Illya?"

The girl giggled and shook her head.

"I just remembered what you said, Arturia… 'Gilgamesh only does something when he feels interested in it'. So I took the ' _Epic of Gilgamesh_ ' and asked him to read it to me…"

Arturia almost smiled back.

"Illya, that was a bit… sly of you," she said, with her tone managing to be both reprimanding and amused.

The girl giggled again before turning serious.

"I promise I won't do it again, Arturia… but I had no ill intentions and… I just felt very lonely without you."

Arturia was not used to such words directed at her… but she felt touched by them.

She gave Irisviel's daughter a small smile.

"I'm here, Illya… and I'm not going anywhere."

The dark red eyes of the girl were happy as she followed the woman back inside the castle.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After Arturia had gotten her voice back, the usual lessons and studying resumed in the living room, and Gilgamesh was content with observing the woman and the girl interact with each other. The only moments when he wasn't with them were when they were doing physical exercises outside and when Arturia put Illya to bed. He usually waited for the King of Knights to come back to the living room, lounging on his couch.

One day, after lunch, when he went to the living room, Gilgamesh didn't find the two girls. The sparring time had already ended, and it was both strange and annoying for them to be late. It became even more annoying when they did not show up after a while.

Slightly irritated, he decided to find them – being in the living room was too boring otherwise.

He asked – or rather, demanded – from the first servant he met where Arturia was. He was immediately answered that she was in Illya's room.

He made his way there, wondering about what they could possibly be doing.

A very unusual and unexpected view met his eyes when he entered.

Illya was jumping around in circles around a woman who stood in the centre of the room, a beautiful woman dressed in a lilac gown, decorated in blue lace, that reached down to her feet.

Gilgamesh's usually arrogant eyes widened slightly when he recognized Arturia.

Her blonde hair was down, and it was much longer than he had expected it to be. She was not wearing any make up, but she had a silver tiara holding her hair in place and a matching necklace, which complemented her dress perfectly.

Arturia's eyes were closed as Illya ran around her, gushing about things like silver bracelets and rings, therefore she had not noticed his presence yet. And because of the protective shield in the castle, she could not sense him, either.

He allowed himself to admit silently that he admired her appearance, before leaning against the door's frame and crossing his arms. As soon as Illya noticed him, he let her know to stay quiet with a motion of his hand.

He wanted to enjoy the sight of Arturia a little longer. Dressed up as an elegant lady, with her long hair down… It was something that he had never witnessed before – and would probably never behold again.

After Illya finished putting some silver jewellery around the woman's wrists, continually singing the praises of her appearance – to which Arturia had only replied with a small, tight smile (it was apparent that she _wasn't_ enjoying the experience), with her eyes still closed –, Gilgamesh decided it was time to make his presence known. He inclined his head to the side while his gaze remained fixed on her. And his lips curved in a little smirk.

"You look like a Queen."

Arturia's eyes snapped open – shocked and slightly embarrassed green met _very_ amused red.

Gilgamesh enjoyed her surprise and didn't let his stare leave her form.

He added, with a wider smirk, "I knew that coming with you to Germany would prove entertaining, Arturia, but I never thought _this_ entertaining…"

The King of Knights would have flushed if she wasn't who she was. Illya only giggled and gave the two a smile.

"Arturia agreed to let me dress her up – but I had to beg her for a long time, and I had to promise it would be just this one time." Then she gave the King of Heroes a mischievous glance. "She is always very pretty, but doesn't she look beautiful now?"

For the first time Gilgamesh did not have a snarky retort ready, because he actually agreed with the little girl. His eyes still did not leave the King of Knights's figure.

"Indeed, girl. She seems ready to be a bride."

To that, Arturia's eyebrows shot high for a second, and then her eyes narrowed at him. He just smirked at her, while Illya giggled again and began to run around in happiness, enjoying herself, as a kid should.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Later that evening, after Illya had been put to sleep, Gilgamesh mentioned her costume parade again.

The King of Knights averted her gaze from his face when she said, "Illya asked for that favour… She has only been learning and studying this whole time, and she is a child after all… She deserves to play as well."

He smirked at her.

"You looked good, Arturia… I did say you seemed to be a bride, didn't I?"

She gave him a hard stare.

"What are you trying to say, King of Heroes?"

He leaned forward in his seat, towards her.

"What I'm saying, _King of Knights_ , is that you looked perfect as a bride… _my_ bride. My future Queen."

She merely lifted an eyebrow. She had seen that coming. It appeared that he was bringing up a subject she had hoped could be forgotten.

"And why, Gilgamesh, would I ever marry you?" Not giving him the time to reply, she looked him in the eye seriously. "First of all, I am a _King_ , not a Queen. Second… do you even know what a marriage is and what it entails?"

He was looking at her intently, and she took it as her cue to continue.

"Perhaps you don't understand the concept of matrimony, King of Heroes. It's not a mere contract… it's supposed to be a holy bond formed between two people who not only care deeply about each other, but also _respect_ each other." Her green eyes were firmly locked on his. "You are unable to respect anyone, much less _care_ about anyone… you will never be part of a marriage."

Gilgamesh was silent for a second, but then he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I did not think that you would be such a hypocrite, King of Knights. You were married during your life, and _that_ marriage was nothing but a contract. You married Guinevere for the good of the image of the kingdom… but even if you may have cared about her as your subject, it was nothing more than that." His gaze turned cynical. "And now you are trying to moralize me about what a marriage truly is?"

Arturia looked at him with cold fury.

After a short silence, she slowly said, "You are right… on some things. I was married to Guinevere, and not by choice. She, however, did make a choice… she accepted such a destiny, fully aware of what she was getting herself into, out of respect for me. For the sacrifice she accepted to make, she had my respect as well. You are right in saying that there was nothing more than that between us, not even friendship, because I was a King who chose to be alone. But this," and voice became stronger, "is _precisely_ the reason why I can say what a marriage should be, because mine has not been it."

She paused for a moment. Her green eyes were still on his red ones. A question came to her mind. "Did _you_ ever have a wife, King of Heroes?"

Gilgamesh scoffed, not breaking their gaze.

"As if I would have ever found anyone deserving of the title of being _my_ wife."

Those words made her stay silent. He said he had never found anyone estimable enough to be his wife… but he had proposed to _her_. She gave him a measuring look, thinking.

He smirked at her, his arrogance back.

"Proposing to you, _Arturia_ , is not enough proof of the fact that I consider _you_ the only woman worthy of the honour of becoming my wife?"

Arturia's eyes turned cold again.

"I am a King before being a woman, Gilgamesh."

She sat up from the couch and went to the door to leave for the night. The second before she walked out, she heard the last words he directed at her.

"By the way, Arturia… you look really good with your hair down."

...


	8. Arguments

…

...

Some weeks later, during the usual morning lessons, the two girls had just gone through a particularly difficult part of a new magic book they had read together. Arturia had decided they could take a short break to allow Illya to have a snack. Gilgamesh was in his usual spot, lounging on the sofa, and seemed slightly more bored than other days.

The little girl was eating the slices of an apple that the King of Knights was peeling and seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

Out of the blue, she looked at the woman and said, "Arturia, would you tell me a bit more about the other Servants from the war, please?"

Arturia paused in her peeling of the fruit and noticed Gilgamesh leaning up a bit to listen more intently. That was quite a difficult question to answer.

She slowly asked, "The specific Servants of this war, or the Servants' classes?"

Illya replied, "The specific Servants… I know about the classes."

Arturia nodded, and finished peeling an apple slice before handing it all to the little girl.

"Well, the Archer-class Servant is currently there on the couch, while the Saber-class Servant was me. Then Assassin… he was a dangerous one, because he had several bodies and therefore tricked the other contestants by faking his death more than once. Caster… he was a very sick person. He disregarded human life entirely, and was only happy when he could do horrible things to innocent people."

She carefully avoided mentioning all the atrocities he had committed because Illya, even if unusually bright for her age, was still a young child.

"Berserker…" Arturia couldn't help hesitating, and knew that Gilgamesh had noticed it. She internally cursed his ever-growing perceptiveness when it came to her. "He had no control over his actions, becoming a slave of his madness and randomly trying to kill. He was, in life,… my most loyal and trusted knight, Lancelot, who had fallen under the curse of insanity."

She had to pause for a second, but immediately continued. She had made something close to peace with her demons inside the Grail, she would not allow them to control her any longer. "Rider was Iskandar, the powerful King of Macedonia. Even if not a very… courteous person, he was a truly valuable leader and a skilled fighter."

Arturia paused in order to divide the next apple slice into two parts and give one of them to Illya, while she unhurriedly swallowed the second one.

The little girl asked, "And what about Lancer?"

Arturia almost smiled, and didn't notice Gilgamesh's eyes narrowing at her expression.

"He was… different from other Heroic Spirits, I believe. He was… truly chivalrous. I would have actually liked to meet him outside the Holy Grail War's battlefield, because he was someone I respected and could even come to trust."

Illya was curious, but before she could say anything, a scoff from the King of Heroes made her jump. He was usually so silent around them that she often forgot he was even there.

Gilgamesh seemed strangely irritated. Gaze fixated on Arturia, he said, "That mongrel was not even a King, and yet you deem someone like _him_ worthy of your time? I am appalled at you, King of Knights."

Arturia, however, wasn't fazed. She returned his irritated gaze with a challenging one of her own.

"I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to fight side by side with Lancer during the war… and I would have been honoured to call him a fellow knight of mine. He was a just and loyal person, and I wish for his sake that his destiny had been different."

After a short pause, she added, "He was the only Servant during the war with whom I felt I had something in common."

Gilgamesh glared at her with something she would have called frustration, if it had not been him. He stood up and made his way to the door, slamming it close behind him.

Rather taken aback by his brusque manner of leaving, Arturia frowned.

"What on earth is wrong with him?"

Illya surprised her by giggling, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Arturia, you were practically singing Lancer's praises in front of him. Would he really stay calm while hearing you talk so considerately about another man?"

The King of Knights gave the girl a dispassionate look. Realizing that Arturia had not understood what she was trying to hint at, the girl went into detail.

"Arturia, I think he is jealous."

He… _what_?

The idea was so ridiculous that Arturia almost said it aloud, but restrained herself at the last moment because she did not want to offend Illya.

Gilgamesh most certainly _was not_ jealous.

And of _Lancer_ of all people?

Ridiculous.

He had probably been irritated by the fact that she had talked more about the other Servants than about him. _That_ was something far more believable.

Arturia took out the Magecraft book again. The break they had taken had been long enough. It was time to go back to studying.

As she looked for the right page, she did her best to ignore Illya's smile. The little girl was perceptive enough to see that Gilgamesh wasn't indifferent towards her beloved Arturia… and she was certain that Arturia had taken a subconscious liking to him, too…

…or, at least in her opinion, she probably would, soon.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Before they even realized it, about a year of rather uneventful life passed.

Illya's education was going better than Arturia expected, and every time she saw the girl to bed in the evening, she ardently hoped that Irisviel would be proud of the young woman the child was slowly growing into.

She observed the girl closely, and she could say with certainty that she seemed to be quite happy. Illya was a calm and cheerful girl, always eager to learn and always with a smile on her face.

One afternoon, however, Illya was quieter and more sombre than usual. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts, even though she was obviously trying to pay attention.

They were studying, but Arturia stopped their lesson abruptly.

The little girl had started to cry… something she had never done in front of her.

As the tears were running down her face, Illya murmured, "It's been a year since I last saw mommy and daddy… I've been an entire year without them, and I miss them so much…"

Once the sobs began, it was as if a dam broke inside her, and Illya cried in earnest.

Arturia was shocked. She did not know what she was supposed to do with weeping children… but she remembered her friend Irisviel, and thought about how much Illya must miss her… and her father, too.

Gently, the former King of Britain put a hand on the crying girl's head, a very ancient look appearing on her face. She knew what sorrow and torment were… and she allowed Illya to pour out all her sadness.

After a while, the girl's sobs became softer and softer, until she slowly fell asleep with her head on the table.

Arturia silently stood up, picked the girl up in her arms and exited the room, heading towards the child's bedroom.

She had completely forgotten that Gilgamesh was in the living room as well. The King of Heroes's eyes had followed her every movement the whole time, but she had been too focused on Illya to notice it.

After tucking the sleeping girl into her bed and turning off the lights, Arturia left the bedroom and closed the door carefully.

.….

She turned around… and found the King of Heroes leaning against the wall opposite from her and staring at her intently.

She returned his stare with an unwavering look of her own.

They had not talked directly since their confrontation about marriage. The air between them was thick with tension.

Gilgamesh inclined his head without breaking their gaze. His voice was sardonic when he spoke.

"That was quite the… _sad_ display to see, King of Knights. I had thought that the girl actually had some interesting traits in her… but as it turns out, she's just a child who misses her parents' love."

That was when Arturia snapped. She was normally a level-headed person who calmly analysed the situation and then figured out a solution – but the man in front of her was going too far in his arrogance and his disdain towards people. She didn't even know what exactly about him made her so angry as to make her blood boil in her ears… but she didn't care. It was one thing when he insulted or offended her personally – she knew that, in his own way, he acknowledged and respected her as a king –, but she would not tolerate any baseless accusation directed towards Illya.

Eyes as cold as ice, her glare would have made hell freeze over.

"You wouldn't understand, King of Heroes. You have never been loved."

The moment those words left her lips, Arturia regretted them.

She had let her anger take over… and she had replied to his arrogance with cruelty.

Gilgamesh was taken aback by her words, but he refused to show it. He decided to ignore her and continue with his verbal attack. The former discussion with her was still fresh on his mind… and after what she had said about Lancer, he was somehow… angry with her. He knew his judgement was not completely unclouded – but he could not care less at the moment.

"You have failed to save your country during your lifetime, Arturia. In this new life, you have decided to look after the Grail vessel's daughter, trying to give her something of what she has lost, because you know what it means to lose everything and be alone. All you do is nothing but cling to your past, King of Knights…"

His mocking words hit Arturia with the strength of a slap in the face.

All her fury came back… but this time, she was able to think more clearly, and she could counterattack. She did not drop eye contact for a second and her voice was steady in her reply.

"You are arrogant, King of Heroes, and look down on everyone. You regard yourself as superior to everybody else, and never even consider the idea of anyone being your equal, much less being superior. But there must be a reason for that… You must have had someone, once, someone you _did_ consider worthy. Someone you could rely on, someone you could perhaps even call a friend. You must have lost this person… I don't know how or why… but you unconsciously compare everyone to this person, and that prevents you from seeing the true worth of other people." Her eyes narrowed at him. "It seems, King of Heroes, that in some ways it's _you_ who is still clinging to the past."

Eyes burning, she turned around to walk away… and she didn't see his perfect, arrogant face completely dismayed.

Gilgamesh had never felt so… _vulnerable_ in his whole life.

He could not allow things to remain as they were.

His legs moved automatically, and he followed her steps. He began to talk as he came near her, and she stopped as she heard his words.

"King of Knights, your mistake in ruling your kingdom was not that you were unable to understand the hearts of the people around you… the mistake was that you didn't understand them completely. You are an insightful person… but you do not seek to understand a person fully. _That_ was what you did wrong with your knights in Camelot… and that's what you are doing wrong right now as well."

Arturia had stopped, and she slightly turned around to look at him. He came up next to her.

"You are able to see some of the traits that define people… but you stop there. You don't understand the person in its entirety… you manage to grasp a part of them, and you stick to that. But there is more to every person than that… and you fail to see it."

The two kings were standing next to each other, and their eyes were locked on each other, with challenging sparkles coming from both sides.

Each of them had criticised the other about the way they went around people. Arturia had told Gilgamesh that he regarded everyone as inferior to him because, even though he could read people easily, he unconsciously compared them to a person he had lost in the past, and therefore tended to underestimate them. Gilgamesh had told Arturia that she only grasped parts of the people that surrounded her and she did not try to go further than that, and therefore tended not to understand them completely.

The clash of the green and red eyes was very evidently not going to be over any time soon, and the two kings were aware of that. They had both too much pride to back down.

They stayed silent and still, glaring daggers at each other. After several minutes, he finally spoke. "If you can see what I'm saying…"

"Then so can you," she immediately shot back.

Their gazes, still locked together, became more measuring. Slowly, very slowly, the tension began to dissipate between them.

They still didn't look away from each other… but they had reached an agreement. They would both consider carefully what the other had said.

 _Very_ carefully.

And their argument ended like that – in a draw.

...


	9. Discoveries

**A/N** : some of the things that are said in this chapter about the Grail are completely NOT true in canon. But they are needed for this fic. Thanks for reading!

* * *

…

...

After the argument, contrary to what they both had expected, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Arturia had become more… relaxed.

When they thought about it, they acknowledged that it actually made sense. They had told each other what they truly thought, and by doing that, they had created a deep connection between them. And that allowed them to be more comfortable in each other's presence.

That showed especially in the evenings, when Arturia usually took a book from the library and read aloud for them both in the living room.

She had decided it was best to know more about the Holy Grail War, and therefore had begun to read aloud quite a few historical books. From those, they had discovered that only after the chaotic Second War the Church, deciding to give the conflict some semblance of rightness, had introduced a few precise rules.

Other much more shocking pieces of information came up… things Arturia had not been aware of. She discovered, to her dismay, that in order to complete the summoning ritual of the Grail all seven Servants were supposed to die… and that was the actual reason the Command Spells existed in the first place, so that the Masters could force their Servants to commit suicide.

That went against everything they had known previously… According to what they had thought to be true, a couple formed by a Master and a Servant was supposed to win the war, and each of them would be able to make a wish on the Grail.

The King of Knights was not exactly livid, but she wasn't happy in discovering that she had merely been a pawn, and that she had never had any hope of winning the Grail from the very beginning. That was when Gilgamesh spoke up.

"I found out about the real rules of the war… and that was part of the reason I accepted to change Master." He played with his ever-present wine glass. "I knew that Tokiomi would sacrifice me in the end."

Arturia raised an eyebrow at him. Snide remarks were not her type of thing, but this time she could not stop herself.

"And you don't suppose that in the end Kirei would have killed you as well, do you?"

He retorted, "I had been analysing the mongrel long enough to understand what his true priorities were."

Such little exchanges of sarcasm became increasingly common between them.

After having read about the Second War, Arturia looked for books about the Third War… and was surprised to find out that there were very few, and all very vaguely detailed. It was strange… especially because the shelves with those books were almost empty. The woman was suspicious, mainly because she knew that Jubstacheit von Einzbern had seen her often go to the library to consult historical books… but she had no reason to ask questions about the apparent absence of some books.

A few days after finding out about the required death of the Servants, Arturia was reading yet another book of Magecraft with Illya when she made a startling discovery.

According to the lessons they were going through in that moment, if a magical object released energy after having supposedly been destroyed, it meant that the process had been imperfect – and the latent energy would remain inside the item.

That could mean…

Arturia avoided talking about her suspicions in front of the girl, and waited until she went to sleep that evening before bringing up the subject with Gilgamesh. She wouldn't have talked to him if he hadn't been the only one to know what she was talking about.

Re-reading the passage that had made her suspicions arise, she related them to the King of Heroes.

"Gilgamesh, if this is true, then it could mean… that the Grail has not been destroyed."

Her face almost contorted in anxiety. If the Grail had indeed not been destroyed, then there would be another Holy Grail War. And if another Grail War was going to take place…

 _Illya_ , was the first thought her mind screamed.

Gilgamesh appeared to be very calm as he observed her various reactions. As soon as she seemed to have quieted down a little, he sat up from his lying position on the couch and casually handed her two books that had been under his feet but she had not noticed before.

Arturia took them with a frown, slightly confused, but it quickly turned into a shocked gasp when she realized what those two volumes were.

They appeared to be the Einzbern secret books about the Third Grail War – the ones she had been unable to find in the library!

She looked at the golden king in wonder. He simply shrugged.

"You were looking for them, weren't you?"

He had seen her look in vain for the books that had mysteriously disappeared from the library's shelves, and he had immediately known that Jubstacheit von Einzbern had something to do with that. So he had simply followed the old mongrel on the day he had made his appearance again, and had seen him put some volumes in a small room contiguous to the library. He had mentally snorted at the man's less-than-smart hiding place and simply taken the books with him.

Arturia immediately opened the first tome and began to read aloud. That evening they did not manage to read a lot of it, because it was already late, but they found out something that neither of them expected: the Einzbern family had been at fault for the corruption of the Grail.

That meant – everything that had happened during the Fourth War had been meaningless, because the cup was already tainted.

All the people who had died… everything had been in vain.

Families had been torn apart… and it had all been for nothing.

The following evenings, Arturia continued to read aloud from the two books, and both former Servants were interested in what they found out.

They read about the nature of Angra Mainyu… the incarnation of 'all the world's evils'. It had apparently tainted the Grail and managed to corrupt it fully by the time the Fourth Grail War had begun. Both Gilgamesh and Arturia remembered the dark entity they had met inside the Grail.

The woman considered what she had read in the Magecraft book and what she was learning from those history volumes.

"I hit the Grail with a direct blast. It should have been enough to tear it apart for good. But that black mud that came out of it… signifies that it wasn't destroyed."

She read more about the nature of the Grail the following evenings, and that was when they discovered how it was truly composed.

The Grail was a supernatural entity, and as such, it needed something physical – a vessel – to manifest in the world of the living. The process of manifestation was gradual… it received the energy of every Servant that died, and that began to bind the vessel and the Grail together.

Arturia was struck with a thought. _That_ was the reason why Irisviel had kept becoming weaker and weaker. After Assassin's death, she had had to shut her sense of touch to be able to still go around. After Caster's death, she had barely moved. And after Lancer's forced suicide… the white-haired homunculus had collapsed. She had been the Grail vessel… and with every Servant's death, her bond with the Grail had become stronger, weakening her life as a human.

The King of Knights forced herself to concentrate on the book she was reading and set aside the thoughts about her friend.

What really caught her attention – and she pointed it out to the King of Heroes, who had been listening attentively every evening – was again the Grail's double nature. Its true form was intertwined with the vessel, but they truly became one only once all the Servants, or at least six of them, died, and therefore put their energy inside it.

However, the fact that two Servants had still been alive when Excalibur's blast had hit it meant that the vessel and the true form of the Grail had not been together… and therefore Excalibur's light had only destroyed the physical vessel. Proof of it was the black mud that had erupted from it, which was manifestation of latent energy.

That meant… that not only did the Grail still exist… but also the energy from the five Servants who had died was still inside it.

Arturia went back in the book to re-read a passage and make sure they had gotten the facts straight.

It said that there was a period of sixty years between each Holy Grail War because the Grail needed to gather and store enough energy to manifest itself in Fuyuki.

But… the energy of _five_ Servants had remained inside the Grail after the Fourth War. That meant that the next war was going to take place in much, much _less_ than sixty years!

And that meant that Illya would without a doubt be involved in that, too…

Arturia closed the last book. After more than ten days of reading every evening, she had finished the two volumes that Gilgamesh had given her.

She had to think.

She had discussed about all those discoveries with Gilgamesh… well, she had talked and explained while he had simply sat there and listened.

She thought hard, weighing all the facts carefully. The reason why Excalibur had failed to destroy the Grail was clear enough – the vessel and the true nature had not been bound together sufficiently to be destroyed in one blast… and that was also why a part of the darkness of Angra Mainyu had been able to flow out. A double blast would have been necessary to destroy the Grail in the conditions in which it had been at the end of the Fourth War. A weapon as strong as Excalibur – if not stronger – to destroy the vessel and the Grail through the connection they shared, and _then_ Excalibur… to use its brightness to purify and vanquish all that tried to escape from it… or even the other way round could work.

It made sense. The full form of the Grail was made of both the physical container and the true essence… it had a double nature. A double blast was therefore necessary to completely remove it from existence.

Arturia stood up and walked to the window. Her eyes looked outside without seeing anything. She spoke after a long pause.

"The Grail has to be destroyed… and it has to be done while its energy is still a bit dormant, or it will become strong enough to start another war."

Her gaze became resolute. She had to find a way – the Grail had to be stopped. Those wars had already caused too many unnecessary and useless deaths.

The King of Knights made her decision. She would do it. She would have to destroy the Grail. That would be her new objective.

The King of Heroes felt amused at witnessing her decisiveness.

"This is… interesting. You intend to get rid of a mystical but corrupt object that you tried to obtain for so long… _Very_ interesting." He looked at her form, standing next to the window. "How do you aim to do such a thing, _Arturia_?"

The woman could feel the unspoken challenge in his words – he was testing her. He was asking her to prove that she wasn't just talking, but that she meant to do what she had said she would.

She reflected. To destroy the Grail, the first thing she needed was more detailed information – information she could not find at the Einzbern Castle. She needed to learn much, much more about Magecraft and summoning rituals… and the best place to learn more about those…

"I will have to leave," she said, thoughtfully. Before he could interrupt her, she continued, "I need to go to London, to the main headquarters of the Mage's Association. There I can find the information I require to summon the Grail properly."

She didn't add that she suspected that a human physical vessel was necessary… she could not be sure until she researched more about it. A vessel was unavoidable… but she hoped it was possible to use something that wasn't an alive person.

Her reasoning concluded, she turned around to face Gilgamesh. Looking at the clock on the wall, she realized it was already past three in the morning, but she ignored the thought to concentrate on the man in front of her.

Her eyes met his, firmly. "Now that you know what I've decided to do, what will _you_ do, King of Heroes? Do you intend to support, observe, stop me? What do _you_ aim to do, Gilgamesh?"

He was silent. Suddenly a glass of wine appeared in his hand and he took a sip from it. Twirling the glass in his fingers, he smirked slowly.

"I give you an opportunity, King of Knights. Since you have exceeded my expectations in terms of entertainment, I ask you to try and make me decide." He leaned back on the couch, with a satisfied expression on his face.

Arturia remained silent for a moment. She knew she could use his help. Therefore she began slowly, "…You should probably help me, Gilgamesh."

She looked out of the window again, deep in thought.

"There are several reasons for doing so. For one, we are not aging… and that means that that's something that has to do with the Grail."

They had realized they were not aging only a few weeks before.

"Then, if the Grail is not destroyed, there will be another war; I'm well aware," she continued immediately, noticing that he was about to say something, "that you do not exactly care about that. However, I would like to bring your attention on a consequence of this fact. A new war means new Servants – and new Servants means that there could be other Heroic Spirits, who might get soaked in the Grail's black substance… and they might survive, too. Do you really want others to be in your same position, King of Heroes?" Her expression was the closest to sarcastic that he had ever seen on her. She taunted him, "It's bad enough that I was given the same honour, but what if others were to receive that as well?"

As soon as she finished talking, Gilgamesh made his glass disappear and clapped lightly, smirking.

"I'm impressed, Arturia… you managed to make some very good points. No other mongrels are worthy of the same honour we have."

His expression, aside from his smug smile, was impossible to read.

Arturia frowned slightly. He had not said that she wasn't worthy… that was strange. Before she could enquire about his words, however, he stood up and came towards her.

"I will come with you then, Arturia, and lend you my help… but one thing must be clear." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I will not lower myself to go through dusty books – I have already had to touch these filthy Einzbern ones."

For the first time, Arturia allowed herself to roll her eyes physically instead of mentally in front of him, and smiled.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

They were not going to leave immediately – but in a very short while.

The following day, even if she had not had enough sleep, Arturia talked with Illya. Without going into details, she seriously explained to the girl that she and Gilgamesh needed to go to London for a while, and then they would come back. The young girl did not take the news very well – Arturia had been living with her for more than two years by then, and she had become a constant and reliable presence in her life. The King of Knights reassured her that she was leaving only temporarily, and she would be back. After searching the woman's green eyes with her dark red ones, Illya relented and nodded, even if sadly.

After telling her about the imminent departure, Arturia also talked with her about her family. She told the little girl to be very careful while they were gone, and not to trust anyone, not even her most dependable servants with whom she was going to continue her studies. The woman told her that in complete earnestness – she knew that the child was bright enough to understand, and she was also proficient enough in magic to defend herself if needed. The King of Knights doubted that the Einzberns would try to do anything to her in the period of time she was not there, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

Before going to speak with the Einzbern leader, Arturia asked Gilgamesh to put the secret Einzbern books back in the place where he had taken them from, in order not to raise any suspicions. His expression had been almost offended at the request but, even if quite annoyed, he had complied.

The conversation with Jubstacheit von Einzbern had been very brief and formal. Arturia had truthfully told him that she intended to go to the Mage's Association to deepen her knowledge about Magecraft, and Jubstacheit had not had any objections. He had actually made sure that the servants provided both her and Gilgamesh with travelling clothes, and even gave her an Einzbern seal, engraved on a ring that was hanging from a chain, so that she could wear it around her neck and make use of the Einzbern privileges in London. Arturia reluctantly thanked him for his gift – knowing that he only had his egotistic interests in mind – and took her leave from him.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Arturia and Gilgamesh were at the gates of the Einzbern Castle, ready to leave.

As soon as they would be outside of the magical barrier, Gilgamesh was going to dematerialize them once again, because even if Arturia's description of the first class of an airplane had caught his attention for a while, he still refused to travel "the way the mongrels do".

Arturia suspected he just wanted a private jet, and she was _not_ going that far.

Illya had insisted on accompanying them to the gate herself. She had a very sad expression and even looked worried.

Before going, Arturia gave the girl a smile.

"I will come back to see you as soon as I can, Illya."

The little girl nodded, looking at her with glistening eyes. Then, suddenly, as the woman was about to turn around to leave, Illya ran up to her and hugged her fiercely around her waist, bursting into tears against her blue coat.

Arturia was paralyzed with surprise, her hands automatically landing on the girl's shoulders in instinct. Shocked at her actions, she did not notice how the King of Heroes was giving the two of them a knowing look.

The little girl, between sobs and while still clinging to Arturia's clothes for dear life, chocked out, "P-promise me, A-arturia… P-p-promise you-you will c-come back…!"

The woman, still stunned at the girl's actions, kneeled down on her level, not caring about the snow around her. She gently unfastened Illya's clenched hands and took them in hers. She gave her another smile and looked her directly in the eye.

"I promise, Illya. I will come back. And you promise me," her grip became a little more firm, "that you will continue your studies and you will be careful."

The white-haired girl sniffled and nodded, looking at her with still tear-filled eyes. And then she threw her arms around the woman's shoulders and embraced her.

"I'll miss you," she sobbed.

Having someone hug her was something completely new for Arturia. It was with hesitance that her arms went around the little girl's form to embrace her back. But, as soon as she was holding her close, she realized how much comfort that action could give, and she caressed Illya's hair lightly.

With the child in her warm embrace, Arturia smiled.

"I will miss you too, Illya."

She did not know, but in that moment, her expression was the sweetest and loveliest that Gilgamesh had ever seen on her face.

And he could do nothing but stare in something very close to amazement while the two girls were hugging each other. Not even while asleep had Arturia had such a tender appearance…

He wondered briefly if she would ever direct such an expression to anyone else. He also had to wonder… such a pure expression was surprisingly _more_ beautiful than her anguished one he had seen in the past… and he found out that such a realization was not unwelcome.

Arturia then slowly broke the embrace, softly wiping Illya's tears away with her sleeve.

The girl hiccupped.

"I-I hope nothing happens to you…"

At that, Gilgamesh almost scoffed. He frowned at the white-haired girl.

"As if anything would happen to Arturia while she is travelling with me."

Illya looked at him, and her eyes filled with tears again.

"What if something happens to _you_?"

Gilgamesh _did_ scoff this time.

"As if–.."

The little girl however didn't give him the time to finish the sentence, because she jumped towards him and hugged his legs. For the first time in a very long while, the King of Heroes was completely taken aback.

His expression was so entertaining, and having a girl clinging to his legs was so bizarre, that Arturia could not suppress a smile, even if she tried to cover it with her hand.

He noticed, though – of course he did –, and glared at her.

Then he broke free from Illya's embrace, even if not harshly, and took a few steps towards the gate. He gave a nod to Arturia, indicating that it was time to go. The woman waved at Illya with a smile and followed him, still trying to suppress her amusement.

The little girl was left watching them walk across the gate, and then she saw him grab her hand to dematerialize.

The last thing she heard before they both disappeared was the slightly annoyed tone of the King of Heroes as he said, "Wipe that smile off your face, woman."

...


	10. England, present and past

…

...

As soon as the dematerialization was complete, Arturia immediately felt it.

She was _home_.

She was back in England.

A nostalgic smile appeared on the face of the former King of Britain. Her time as a king had ended, but her deep connection with her land had not… and she could feel every bone of her body recognize the place where she was. She was in her country, in her beloved country… and she still had something profound that linked her with it.

Her expression was one of such perfect completion that Gilgamesh could not help staring at her. Was that the result of having her come back to her homeland?

But the moment was over too soon. They had dematerialized into a small station right outside London. They knew how to reach the Mage's Association through the British Museum, but before going there, they needed to change their appearance slightly.

They had decided it was not a good idea to disguise themselves by using their powers, because not only was it energy consuming, but it could also be detected. And since they were going to enter the headquarters of a group made of people who specialized in magic, it was best to keep a low profile. After all, their very existence had been a product of magic.

Arturia had taken with her the bag she had prepared in Fuyuki a long time before, with money in it. She had changed a part of it into the correct currency to be able to use it in England without problems, because she did not want to rely on the Einzberns for most of their expenses. She was glad that she and Gilgamesh could benefit from their help, but she was well aware of the fact that they could not be trusted. Moreover, she did not like the idea of her movements being traceable.

The woman had foreseen that the King of Heroes would not be thrilled about having to travel on the same trains as those he considered 'mongrels', but she had patiently reasoned with him, explaining how important it was to maintain anonymity. And she had pointed out the fact that, once they learned where exactly the most important places were, they could dematerialize there. Very unenthusiastically, Gilgamesh had finally relented, but his expression remained one of pure disgust during the whole train ride to reach the centre of London. Arturia did her best to ignore him.

Their first destination was Oxford Street – it was a crowded place full of shops, and they had to change their appearance to make sure they were not recognizable in the unlikely case they met someone who could guess their identity. Arturia was about to buy hair-dye but, unexpectedly, Gilgamesh firmly opposed that plan. He told her that neither he nor she would stain their blonde colour with anything else.

A bit irritated, but also surprised by the fact that he included her in his reasoning, she conceded and opted for a wig for herself. She knew that Gilgamesh would not tolerate such a thing for his person; therefore, she just suggested he let his hair down. He accepted that idea – during the war, no one had ever seen him with his usually spiky hair down, except Tokiomi and Kirei; the former was dead and the latter was in Fuyuki.

He looked quite different from his king persona with his hair down – he looked _good_ , her mind impishly murmured –, but it still wasn't enough as a disguise. Arturia decided to have him buy a pair of wraparound sunglasses… because his red eyes were bound to appear strange in the modern world. She bought a smaller pair for herself, just in case, even if her green eyes were less striking among the population. In the same shop where she purchased the glasses, she also bought some makeup. She noticed how the King of Heroes lifted an eyebrow at her, but she only rolled her eyes.

They went to a big shopping mall for a change of clothes, and that was where Arturia made use of the dressing rooms to put on the wig she had chosen. It was black and it reached her shoulders. To make the disguise more convincing, she used the makeup she had bought to darken her eyebrows and then black mascara on her eyelashes. If the colour of eyelashes, eyebrows and hair was not the same, it was bound to appear suspicious.

Then she proceeded to wear her new clothes. Since during the war she had mainly worn a black suit and her long blue combat gown together with and without her armour, she had chosen something relatively different. Her selection was made of quite a short green dress with black leggings underneath and long brown boots. Together with her black hair, she looked classy but casual enough.

When she came out of the dressing rooms in her new outfit, she looked around for Gilgamesh, but had trouble recognizing him. If she hadn't been able to sense him, she wouldn't have been sure about his identity.

Aside from the sunglasses, he was now wearing a casual white t-shirt with a black leather jacket and black slacks. With his tall and lean figure, he could have been mistaken for a biker – quite the fashionable one, though. She was glad he had agreed to renounce to his usual golden jewels, because they would have really made him stand out too much.

He gave her a smirk when he saw her, his eyes scanning her up and down. She ignored his staring and asked him if he preferred to check in at the hotel the Einzberns had booked for them or if it was fine to go to the Mage's Association immediately. Gilgamesh gave her a haughty look and said that he hardly expected them to have chosen an adequate place for their stay; therefore, he did not intend to spend there more time than was strictly indispensable.

Rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time and suppressing an exasperated smile at his usual arrogant antics, Arturia proceeded to purchase tickets for the Tube before he could protest about the 'lowly' way of travelling.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The two kings went to the Clock Tower base, whose entrance was hidden in the British Museum. Arturia showed the Einzbern ring to one of the guards, and they immediately escorted her to the secret access doors.

However, they eyed Gilgamesh warily. His appearance and his sunglasses were a bit intimidating. Arturia prevented any possible conflict by immediately stating that he was with her, and the guards let them through.

Realizing that they had just entered the centre of operations of one of the most powerful organizations in the world did not faze either Arturia or Gilgamesh. They had a clear objective in mind, and the only thing they had to be careful about was not letting anyone know who they actually were. The Einzberns had provided them with fake IDs, just in case.

Following the directions on the walls, the two kings went through the labyrinth of corridors and halls, walking by many people that were around. They were looking for the main library of the Association.

As soon as they found it, they immediately began to look for the books they needed, making sure that no one followed them nor seemed interested in what they were doing. Well, actually it was Arturia who began to look for the books… Gilgamesh had already said that he was not going to search through dusty volumes.

The King of Knights however was more than capable of completing such a task on her own, and indeed managed to locate books about summoning rituals and books about the Holy Grail from Fuyuki. Then she simply chose the volumes that were about _both_ , and her research was done.

The problem was that the quantity of the material was not small – there were more than twenty heavy, dusty books ready for her to go through. It could take months to read them carefully and find the information she needed. Especially considering that, of course, the books could not be borrowed… it was not a library in the strictest sense of the word, because the data kept there was far too ancient and precious to risk its loss.

Arturia sighed. She had come to London to obtain the necessary information to perform a summoning ritual and destroy the Grail… she had not expected the task to be an easy one, and she was _not_ going to give up only because a large amount of work awaited her. Determined, she went to one of the tables scattered around in the library, opened the first book and began.

She found out she had been lucky – the first volume described in detail how to perform a correct summoning of the Holy Grail. At Gilgamesh's request, she read aloud the passages that were the most important. Well, not in a loud tone because they were in a public space – and a library –, but in a low murmur.

They soon discovered that the proper ritual had changed between the Second and the Third War – especially concerning the vessel that was needed to make the Grail obtain a physical form. Something powerful was necessary as a container, and the most powerful thing for such a ritual was human life. The Einzberns had found a way to avoid using 'real' human life… by creating the homunculi and using them as vessels. Because not only was a life necessary, the chosen life also had to be in some ways magically bound to the Grail… and the Einzberns, being among the three families that had started it all, knew how to do that with the homunculi.

There was no way to go around that obstacle – something as powerful as a human life was necessary to bind the Grail to the physical world of the living. Arturia was silent after reading those parts, thinking.

She did _not_ want to use a person for the ritual… and she _would not_ do it.

There _had_ to be another way, because she was not going to sacrifice anyone to summon a corrupted cup that needed to be destroyed. Her thoughts went to Illya, and she had to suppress a shiver. To think that the Einzberns were raising her like an animal for slaughter, simply preparing her to be the future Grail vessel… Arturia felt deep disgust towards that family.

The King of Knights decided to put aside the matter of what – or who – to use as a physical vessel for the Grail, at least for the moment. She was firm in her decision that she would not be using a human life – there had to be a way to go around that obstacle.

When she mentioned that to Gilgamesh, he seemed quite unconcerned. He didn't really see a problem in that, but when she asked him why, he simply replied that she would be able to come up with the noblest solution – as always.

Taken aback by his comment, Arturia lowered her gaze. She decided to let it slide and continued in her reading.

Without her noticing, several hours passed and suddenly a strangely familiar voice addressed her.

"I am sorry, the library is about to close."

The King of Knights felt very glad at having decided to wear her small sunglasses even inside the room… because in front of her was someone who would have been able to recognize her if he had seen her green eyes.

It was none other than Waver Velvet, Master of Rider during the Fourth Grail War.

He had a friendly attitude and a polite smile on his face, and seemed to be patiently waiting for them to leave. Arturia gave him a nod, standing up and collecting the various books. She went to put them in their place, while Waver waited and Gilgamesh silently observed.

The young boy looked at the two with interest.

"Excuse my curiosity, are you tourists?"

Arturia knew that if Gilgamesh said anything, it would be something rude; therefore, she quickly nodded.

"Yes, we are visiting London."

She knew that the fact that they were specialized in magic was implied, because otherwise they wouldn't have been in the secret area of the British Museum in the first place.

Waver gave a smile while they were heading towards the doors.

"You are in luck then. There are quite a few festivals these days in the city centre. I presume you might be interested in bikes… there is a parade tomorrow."

Gilgamesh gave the boy a cold stare, but luckily his sunglasses hid that.

"Why should we be interested in motorcycles?"

The former Master only gave a wave.

"I assumed that from the way you are dressed, but I probably misjudged. The only person I ever saw on a motorcycle was a woman… and man, _she_ really knew what she was doing."

Arturia frowned slightly. The only person he had ever seen on a motorcycle…? _Oh_.

Gilgamesh noticed her reaction, and he was smart enough to make the connection. He gave her a smirk.

With a glare that he could sense even in spite of the sunglasses, Arturia decided to ignore him and concentrate on going out of the library… and that was when she noticed a sign on the door that specified the opening and closing time of the place.

She turned towards Waver.

"Pardon me, but is tomorrow the library closed?"

He nodded.

"On Sundays no visitors are allowed inside the library of the Association."

Her disappointment must have been apparent, because he quickly added, "But as I mentioned, there are a lot of festivals these days and–"

Gilgamesh's visible expression was bored.

"We're not interested in those things, kid."

Waver was polite enough to ignore the term and continued, "Well, there are also a lot of important historical places to visit if you aren't interested in more modern things… There are quite a few very fascinating abbeys to see… Oh! There is for example Glastonbury Abbey-.."

Gilgamesh was clearly uninterested and about to say something rude, when Arturia put a hand on his arm firmly, and he let the boy finish.

"…where there is the grave of King Arthur, or if you'd rather visit a cathedral like the one in Ely-.."

At the mentioning of _that_ name, Arturia immediately tensed up. Gilgamesh instantly noticed and took a step in front of her. He simply gave a nod to the boy – a strangely civil enough nod – and, taking her arm, smoothly dragged her away.

The two kings left the Mage's Association and went to their hotel in silence. As Gilgamesh had expected, the hotel was _not_ up to his tastes, even though it was a five-star one. Before going to their respective rooms for the night, he took her arm again.

He met her questioning gaze and smirked slightly.

"Tomorrow we are going to Glastonbury Abbey, Arturia."

Her green eyes widened and she tried to protest, but he prevented her from doing so.

"The library is closed tomorrow and I have no intentions of letting myself be bored. There is supposed to be your grave in that abbey's yard, something that might prove quite entertaining to see. After all, how many people can have a look at their final resting place?"

The King of Knights debated with herself for a moment. There was no advantageous way to spend the following day… they might as well go see her grave. After all, the time that could not be spent collecting information about the Grail, well, it could be used to… go visit around in her country, could it not? She was back in England after so many centuries, so why not go look around a little? Slowly, she nodded at Gilgamesh, who gave her another of his smirks before turning around and giving her a wave with his hand.

That evening, in her luxurious bedroom, Arturia thought about Illya. It was the first night in a very long time in which she hadn't tucked the girl in her bed. She had to admit to herself that she missed the kind-hearted little girl…, as she had known she would.

Wishing her a good night with all her heart, she fell asleep.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following day, after Arturia made sure they were wearing jackets with hoods to better conceal their appearance, Gilgamesh dematerialized them to Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset.

It was a cool day, and a strangely soft breeze was surrounding the place. It was unusual, considering the normally harsh climate of England.

They walked through the yellowish yard inside the abbey, and about in the middle of it, they found the purported grave of King Arthur.

The two kings stopped in front of it, without saying a word.

A simple grave in the middle of England. A simple grey stone and grass growing on it.

That was the place where King Arthur had his final rest.

The place where a life had ended, together with a kingdom's era.

And that was the place where Arturia finally came to one of the most hurtful realizations of her life.

 _She could not change the past_.

A deep sense of sorrow invaded her, because she knew that what she had just thought was the harsh, bitter truth.

Until that point, even if she had known that the Grail was corrupt and she had no knowledge of any other kind of magic that could grant her her desire, she had still had the misguided hope to undo the past.

Her deepest wish had been to change her kingdom's destiny… and she could see that it was a wish destined to fail.

Did that mean… that everything she had done had been completely in vain?

…perhaps.

…or perhaps not.

As if he had read her thoughts, Gilgamesh, standing next to her, spoke up.

"You have done some good things for your kingdom, King of Knights. Even if Britain has fallen during your time, your actions have ensured its basis, its future prosperity and even created a legend to guide and inspire it. Your story has influenced the greatness of this country… you fought against a destiny that couldn't be changed, but you have done well."

Hearing the arrogant King of Heroes giving such praise… to say it was unexpected was an understatement. He stood next to her, with his hands in his pockets, and stared into the distance with an unreadable look on his face.

Arturia, quiet and motionless, did not realize that tears had begun to flow down her cheeks… until she felt the hot water on her neck. She was glad her hood was hiding her face from view.

A calming breeze was blowing around them. Gilgamesh allowed his hood to be pushed back by the wind, but he still did not look at her.

For that little fact, Arturia was grateful. It was the first time she felt something friendly towards the King of Heroes. She did not know why he was… _respecting_ her space, so to speak, and she did not really care about his motives. She appreciated it in any case.

Apparently, however, he was not done speaking.

"Someone like Rider should see this place. That man… that man was a great warlord, but he had not the right to dismiss anyone as a king, when he had never been one in the first place. Iskandar… he was a worthy Heroic Spirit, even worthy enough to contemplate my Ea's greatness. For that, I can give him enough respect… as a hero. But he was no king – he was a leader, and a truly great one. However, nothing more than that… and that is why he never had the right to express his judgement on a king as great as _you_ … Arturia."

The blond hair of the King of Heroes was down, and the wind blew through it softly. Arturia's tears would have glistened in the sunlight if her hood hadn't been covering her cheeks.

Gilgamesh seemed to breathe in slowly.

"Your actions as a king may have failed back then, in your time, in protecting your kingdom forever, but your mark has remained in history – you should not try to change that, Arturia… because you are one of the few in history who _deserve_ to be remembered."

The astonishment produced by those words was so great that even he had to feel it, because he added, in a slightly colder voice, "Do not think that I am complimenting you, _King of Knights_. I am simply stating the obvious facts about King Arthur… facts you should already be aware of."

Arturia could _feel_ that his last words had been harsher on purpose, and she would have rolled her eyes, if they still hadn't been full of tears. She willed them away and brought both her hands up to push her hood back. She used that movement to swiftly and discreetly dry her cheeks with the sleeves of her jacket.

She looked up at the sky, thinking back on her kingdom. And slowly, a serene, accepting and peaceful expression settled on her features. As Gilgamesh finally looked at her, a melancholic smile appeared on her lips.

"I… I am letting go of my kingdom."

It was said quietly, but with underlying strength in every word.

The King of Heroes raised an eyebrow at her and almost scoffed… but somehow, surprising himself, he managed not to do that. He disregarded the thought by inquiring about her words.

"You are no longer regarding yourself as a king, then?" His tone was a bit quizzical.

Arturia met his gaze… bright green met blood red.

"I am letting go of my kingdom, not of my _kingship_. I made mistakes during my reign – and I will never forgive myself for them. Ever," and her tone became slightly sadder, even if it immediately went back to being resolute as usual. "But I know… that I did all I could as a king. I may have failed, but it was not because I didn't try my best with everything I had. Sometimes… sometimes I can't help thinking that someone else might have done better in my place – but history had me there, and I did the best I could."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and allowing herself to feel the caress of the wind on her face.

"I now know and accept, though, that regret is not the only thing I must allow myself to feel… because I did some things that were good. Therefore, I am not letting go of my kingship. I am the rightful King of Britain and of the Knights, and _that_ is something I will remain."

Gilgamesh felt strangely pleased while observing her expression… a strong, courageous and yet gentle and wise one. The right expression of a king.

In that moment, as he looked at her, he could see what a truly great king she was, with her proud and honourable countenance. She was irresistible… whoever could behold such a treasure would be a lucky person, indeed.

The two kings stared at each other for a very long moment. But then, that moment of perfect understanding between them broken, they turned around and walked away from King Arthur's grave.

As soon as they were out of the Abbey, Gilgamesh offered his hand to her in a less haughty manner than usual… and she took it with more gentleness than usual. Eyes locked once again, they dematerialized.

...

...

 **A/N** : I know that Glastonbury Abbey is not exactly as I described it. Thanks for reading anyway ;)


	11. Experiences in London

…

...

After they returned to the hotel, they went to their respective rooms, even though it was still early in the day. In some ways, they both wanted to be alone for a while.

Gilgamesh wished he could deny it, but he had found it… a little more than interesting to see the grave of King Arthur.

To think that a tiny and delicate-looking woman like Arturia had shouldered the burden of an entire kingdom on her own, and for so many years… he grudgingly admitted to himself that _perhaps_ he had not really seen how much strength had been needed for such a feat.

Nevertheless, he could have no more doubts after that day.

Only someone like _her_ was truly worthy of his love.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

In her room, Arturia's mind was still concentrated on Glastonbury Abbey. She began to go through her daily physical exercises, trying to relax her mind and meditate… but Gilgamesh's red eyes kept finding their way back into her thoughts.

While using Excalibur to fend through the air, the King of Knights decided to let herself ponder over what had happened.

For the first time, she considered the idea that Gilgamesh might have some _genuine_ interest in her. Not as a mere form of amusement – as she had always thought –, but perhaps something… different. She had always been firmly convinced that when he had 'proposed' – or rather, made that completely irrational declaration _he_ called a proposal – he had just wanted to add her to his treasury… and it was probably true.

However, she could not deny that Gilgamesh had changed during the last few years… and she had changed, too. What had just happened between them, that strange connection and understanding of each other… It was something that would _never_ have happened in the past.

However, it _had_ just happened.

What could that mean? Gilgamesh, against everything she could and would have expected from him, had shown his respect for her… as a king and a person equally.

That was… strange. And… astonishing.

Arturia had never met anyone who could begin to understand her and see what her life had been like. He… well, he probably could not either, but in some ways… he _could_ , after all.

The King of Knights reflected, while her invisible sword danced with her through the moves she knew better than anyone else. Other people had shared some of her points of view as well… Irisviel, the desire to help others… Lancer, the knightly code of honour… Illya, the wish to improve… But all of them were very different people from her, and none of them knew anything more than that about her.

Gilgamesh, instead… she was quite confident that they had very little in common, aside from the fact that they had both been kings in their previous lives. And yet, he seemed to have been able to understand her better than other people… people she cared about.

That made her movements suddenly come to a halt. The people she cared and had cared about were not able to see her inner self… but someone like Gilgamesh, for whom she did not care, just _could_?

She was about to resume her training when her mind and body stopped again. She _really_ did not care about the King of Heroes… did she?

The thought was a frightening one, but Arturia had entered deathly dangerous battles before and she was not about to let random thoughts scare her. She considered carefully, while unconsciously Excalibur disappeared and she sat on her knees to reflect.

He had been mostly a quiet observer for the two years they had spent in Germany with Illya. He had sometimes been pushy when addressing subjects like her past and the concept of marriage… but he had never harmed Illya, and that was already saying something. He had agreed to dematerialize with her quite a few times, and had even taken the subway.

He had _definitely_ changed.

And her thoughts about him had changed, too. She did not consider him an enemy anymore. Actually, she saw him more like… an acquaintance that was often around her. An annoying, arrogant and sometimes cunning acquaintance. She had to amend that thought – he was a little more than a mere acquaintance. Currently, he was her… travelling companion.

Nothing more than that.

Unwavering, the King of Knights refused to let her thoughts linger on him any longer.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Since it was still quite early in the day, they ended up going to the motorcycle festival after lunch.

It was bubbling with people, and therefore quite noisy and confusing to go around. But both Arturia and Gilgamesh had a powerful enough aura to make sure people stayed away.

They were wearing hoods again to hide their identities; Arturia's was covering her face quite a bit, but also obscuring her view. Without either of them noticing, therefore, they ended up in the area reserved for the pilots – one of which was about to be selected to do the inauguration round with a new prototype of a bike.

Unluckily for her, Arturia's figure, even though petite, had that knightly, regal pose that made her stand out even in the midst of a crowd. And, just a few seconds later, the presenter chose _her_ , amidst all other skilled pilots, to do the driving. Completely taken by surprise, she tried to protest… but not only the presenter, also other people around her kept insisting.

As she was about to firmly refuse to do what she was being asked to, she saw Gilgamesh ready to open his mouth to intervene in annoyance. Almost in panic because of the very likely possibility of him offending every single person present, she ultimately agreed.

The presenter directed her to go to the bike and the technicians showed her the racetrack but, before they could tell her what to do with the motorcycle and how to use it, she started the engine and took off like a professional.

The woman drove through the street swiftly, and at the first turn, her dark hood fell down because of her speed. Her blonde hair was exposed, and her firm expression caught everyone's eye.

With precision and total control, she drove until the end and then pulled the breaks while turning the bike around, sliding across the asphalt with ease.

Still with the same expression, she parked, gave a nod to the stunned spectators and went to leave.

There were applauses and shout outs, though, and the owner of the motorcycle came up to her, stopping her to congratulate her, saying she had a career in front of her because of such fine piloting skills.

Then he asked her if she wanted to become the pilot for his company. She politely declined.

However, he was obviously a man with wealth, and gave her a condescending smile.

"Money is not a problem for me. I can make you truly become someone in the motorcycle world…"

He was about to put a bulky hand on her shoulder, but a lean and surprisingly strong grip pulled Arturia back by the arm.

Gilgamesh appeared by her side. He had been the one to take her away from the man's touch.

"Don't even think about coming near her, you mongrel," he said with a haughty expression, staring the man down.

The rich motorbike owner was both intimidated and insulted.

"There is no need to be so protective–.."

Before things could escalate, Arturia quickly said, "Thank you for the offer but I am not interested. Have a good day."

And she used Gilgamesh's grip that still was on her to drag him away.

When they were at a safe distance, she gave the King of Heroes a flat stare, then indicated it was time to go back to the hotel. He only smirked at her and, before they left, she heard his complimenting words, even if they were said in such a low tone that she could pretend she had only imagined them.

"Your skills as a driver… are more than just remarkable."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Monday came, and the two kings could go back to the Mage's library. Arturia was more careful than the previous week, making sure not to meet Waver unexpectedly, and for that reason, she wore a pale lilac unassuming dress, while Gilgamesh reluctantly agreed to keep the hood of his dark jacket up.

The reading through the large volumes continued, but they were less lucky than they had been on the first day. Most of the information they read – as usual, Arturia read, Gilgamesh listened – was about mana. It was explained in very complicated and redundant ways, but the main concept was that _a lot_ of it was needed for the summoning of the Grail. The reason why usually sixty years passed between each war was that the Grail was somehow in a trance, slowly building up the energy it needed to make a war begin between Masters.

However, Arturia and Gilgamesh knew there was still the energy of five Servants inside the cup, because that energy had not been released… and that meant that it would take the Grail much _less_ than sixty years to have enough power to start another war. At the same time, the energy of five Servants was not sufficient for a proper summoning, because the energy of at least six of them was necessary.

Before they could continue their research, however, another two weeks passed. One Sunday had seen the library open because of some special anniversary of the Association, but the following one, the whole building was closed again. With no other options, the two kings decided they could go around in London, sightseeing, mainly because it was Arturia's desire.

The former King of Britain wished to see how her homeland had changed from what she had known in her days, and Gilgamesh didn't have anything to object, as long as he found himself entertained. And observing Arturia's expressions as she took in the dynamic and bubbly city that was London, he had to admit that he couldn't find himself bored.

In a vibrant red dress and black boots, with her usual blonde hairstyle but with a red ribbon in it, Arturia waited for Gilgamesh – in his black and white 'biker' outfit and his hair down – to join her in the early morning.

They went around several places in England's capital, with the King of Knights recognizing some traces of her past.

After lunch, they went to a huge shopping centre, because she wanted to buy a gift for Illya. With her bag with money from Fuyuki, Arturia went straight to the book section of the mall.

Before she could get there, though, someone came running in her direction and crashed into her. Arturia swayed slightly, but had no trouble keeping her balance, and she looked at who it was.

A little boy of perhaps six years of age was standing up, shaking his head to overcome the dizziness. He leaned down again to pick up the toy he had dropped, but then he realized what he had done and his large eyes widened in fright.

He looked at Arturia with a shy expression.

"I'm very sorry, ma'am… I didn't mean to…"

She gave a slight smile while her green eyes softened.

"Don't worry, it's not a problem. Are you all right?"

The boy smiled at her.

"Yes, I am, thank you. I'm sorry again… goodbye!"

And he ran away, a little more slowly than before, waving at her with his hand.

Gilgamesh had followed the scene with interest, and there was a detail that he had not missed. Arturia's kindness towards the kid was nothing surprising, and it was always… _pleasing_ to observe, but the way her eyes had not left the toy had caught his interest even more. The boy had been holding a stuffed animal in the form of a lion, and the King of Heroes had noticed how she had seemed taken with it.

Hmmm, it appeared that the woman liked cute objects…, lions…, or both.

No longer interested in the shopping, Gilgamesh left the mall and went back to the riverbank, saying he would join her at the hotel later. Arturia raised an eyebrow at his strange departure, but did not question him. She wanted to find something to bring to Illya.

She looked through the children's books, but everything there was just a little too… _childish_ for someone like the white-haired girl. Therefore, she began to search for a bit more mature storybooks. She did not want anything too didactic because Illya already studied and learned a lot.

Looking through the shelves, her eye suddenly landed on a small book that made her pause in her movements.

 _The theme of friendship – The story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu_.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After about an hour, as she walked out of the shopping centre, she was deep in thought. She had found a fiction, set in London, which seemed promising for Illya – she was sure the little girl was going to like it. She had not bought the essay about the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, because a few years of continuous reading had made her so good at it that she had devoured the book in less than half an hour.

Reading that analysis… had made a deep impression on her.

She had not known the details of Gilgamesh's life. She now knew that what she had deduced about him in Germany, the evening in which they had had quite a heated discussion, had been very close to the truth.

Arturia had not imagined that the proud and arrogant King of Heroes had once had such a deep connection with someone. That he had had _someone_ he had trusted, she had been able to guess, but how strong that bond was, she had not been able to see.

A very deep bond… that had been cruelly severed.

She could not hope to understand what an excruciating experience it must have been for him to lose his best friend… because she herself had never had such a person in her life.

She had always been alone, and by her own choice.

Gilgamesh was now alone as well… because after losing Enkidu, he had chosen to be alone, too.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

At the hotel, the two kings joined each other for dinner. They ate in silence, without speaking much.

Before they left to back to their respective bedrooms, as Arturia was about to turn around to go, Gilgamesh suddenly threw something small at her. Her instincts kicking in, she caught it… and she stared at it, in surprise.

It was a keychain. A keychain with a small lion hanging from it. She looked up at him in wonder, but he was facing the other way and was already leaving for his room.

"Do not fear, Arturia. You don't owe me anything for it," he said.

The woman was not going to let him simply walk away like that.

"That is not where the problem lays, King of Heroes," she replied, and her words made him stop. He didn't turn around to face her, though. " _Why_ are you giving me this?"

His head turned slightly to look at her over his shoulder, and the expression he was directing at her was a completely new one. For the first time, he seemed to be looking at her with something close to a smile. A small, strangely wistful smile.

"To this, King of Knights, I have no reply to give. You have to figure out the answer on your own."

He turned away from her again and went towards the door. Arturia took a step forward. She needed to let him know what she had found out about him.

"I… I have read about your friend Enkidu."

Gilgamesh froze. She knew that she had brought up a subject that was… meaningful to him. She should say everything she had to say about it before he either became angry or arrogantly dismissed her, therefore she continued.

"I cannot pretend to understand what the loss of someone so precious to you must have been like, Gilgamesh."

She was not pitying him, and she knew he understood that. However, she was surprised when he turned around and walked back towards her, stopping a few meters away.

He looked at her intently.

"You _do_ know what that kind of loss is like, King of Knights. You may not have had a special friend that you valued above anyone else… but you valued all your subjects even more than your own life. And yet, in spite of all your efforts, you lost your kingdom… That is exactly the kind of loss I felt, too."

His voice had an edgy tone to it.

"Do you think it is a coincidence that in many ways I can understand you, that I can perceive your struggles, Arturia?" Bright green and blood red were on each other, again. "I am the only one who can truly see all that."

She was silent for a long while.

Then, slowly, she opened her hand and looked at the keychain. Her eyes landed back on him again, her expression, uncharacteristically, betraying nothing.

Holding the small present up, she said, "Thank you for this, Gilgamesh."

They both knew that she was not just thanking him for the key-holder her had given her.

He almost smirked… but, surprising himself, decided against it.

Finally breaking their eye contact, the King of Heroes turned around and went to the door.

As he was closing it behind him, he quietly said, "You're welcome… Arturia."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Several weeks went by. Every day except the festivities Arturia and Gilgamesh went to the Mage's Association's library and continued with the research about the Grail. They collected a huge amount of information.

For example, they found out that the corrupted cup could not be vanquished immediately. The Grail needed to be properly summoned in order to be properly destroyed, and the minimum of seven years after the latest war had to pass before a ritual could be performed again. Not only that, but the summoning could not happen just anywhere – it had to take place in Fuyuki.

Arturia considered the fact that they had to wait before attempting the ritual a positive thing. Only about three years had passed since the Fourth War had ended, therefore they had almost four years of time to prepare for it… especially to stock mana. As they had read in the books, a huge amount of magical energy was needed, and that was why they needed to begin to collect it. The King of Knights knew that the Einzberns were knowledgeable about that kind of magic, and they would be able to provide help in that sense.

Something that worried her was the fact that she couldn't think about Fuyuki without remembering that both Kotomine Kirei and Emiya Kiritsugu were there. She could not, however, determine a clear course of action from the little she knew about their doings during the last years, therefore she decided to put the problem momentarily aside.

On Sundays and other holidays when the library was closed, the two kings continued to go sightseeing. There was little they could do to collect more information during those days; therefore, they felt relaxed enough to go around the city. Arturia was genuinely curious to see anything about her homeland, and Gilgamesh did not find it too boring to go through the things that the modern mongrels had invented in that era.

The environment in London, as both of them had realized by then, was very different from what they had been used to before. Illya was not there, and that meant that they had to interact more with each other. They were often silent, but the surprising fact was that it was… a companionable silence.

They had both also noticed that they were beginning to be more comfortable with each other. Arturia had realized that she did not hesitate at all when she took his hand to dematerialize… and he was being much less arrogant, at least towards her. He now offered her his hand with ease, and the contact always seemed to linger a little longer than necessary.

And she could not forget that he had done something as unexpected as giving her a gift.

Pondering about the reasons for such changes did not seem bound to produce satisfactory results. The best course of action was to see what would happen – with time.

During those travelling days, the exchanges between the two kings were more spontaneous than usual, even coming close to being called banter. There was a shift in the atmosphere in those moments… they were no longer Heroic Spirits who had been given human bodies against their will, but normal people who enjoyed their free time.

They bought some more presents for young Illya while going around London, and Arturia became interested in mobile phones. She didn't buy any, but she made a mental note about purchasing such an article in the future. She was aware of its usefulness, and since they were going to go to Fuyuki sooner or later, she thought it might come in handy to communicate more easily.

After reading through all the books that she had selected on the first day and making sure there were no others with more data and material they might need, Arturia considered their work in London concluded. She was quite certain that they had not been recognized by anyone, nor had they raised any suspicions.

A few months had passed since they had left Germany, and they had collected more than enough valuable information. The King of Knights felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving her homeland again, but she knew it was not the time for sentimentalities. If they wanted to destroy the Grail – and protect Illya –, they needed to concentrate their efforts.

One cold Sunday morning, after paying the hotel's bill with the Einzbern credit card, they walked out and turned around the corner to avoid being seen.

The former King of Britain put her small but strong hand into the King of Heroes's larger and equally strong one, and they disappeared in a swift flash of light.

...

...

 **A/N** : I know that the British Museum is actually open on Sundays ;) thank you very much for reading!


	12. Closeness and departure

…

...

The two kings landed in the perpetual snow that surrounded the Einzbern residence. They were quite close to the gates, therefore they reached them on foot quickly.

This time, when the two homunculi that stood guard appeared, they did not attack them, instead, they simply escorted them inside. The monarchs were informed that the head of the Einzbern family was unfortunately very busy at the moment and could not properly greet them; since neither Arturia nor Gilgamesh were interested in seeing Jubstacheit, they didn't comment on it.

Arturia asked about Illya, and the servants told her she was studying in the usual living room. She thanked them with her normal politeness and immediately went there, followed by Gilgamesh.

As she opened the door, she only had the time to see a flash of white hair and hear a cry of, "Arturia!" before a small figure jumped into her arms to embrace her tightly.

Illya had recognized her footsteps and, overjoyed, had instantly run to her.

However, she was an eleven-year-old girl – who had also grown in the few months in which they hadn't seen her – and she was therefore not light… that, combined with the speed she had gained by running towards the door, was quite a weight. Arturia was strong, but she was petite, and she would have fallen backwards with that 'assault'… if behind her there hadn't been Gilgamesh, who promptly caught her before she could hit the floor.

The King of Knights felt surprisingly strong arms going around her hips from behind to steady her, while at the same time smaller arms went around her shoulders from the front to hug her closely.

Automatically, her own arms went to hold the little girl, who didn't seem to want to let go in the foreseeable future. All the while, Arturia was distinctly aware of the muscular chest of the man she was leaning against… and who didn't seem to want to let go any time soon, either.

However, the position was not the most comfortable one for her, who was not used to physical contact with any person, let alone two at the same time.

Therefore, she steadied herself and gently leaned forward to put the girl back on the floor. As Illya slowly began to let her go, she felt the King of Heroes's grip – somehow reluctantly – releasing her as well.

Now that she was in front of her, Arturia could observe the girl. The white-haired daughter of Irisviel looked fine and healthy, and she seemed to have grown a little bit. She was currently smiling widely at her and, even if she was no longer embracing her, she still held one of her hands. While looking excited and happy at seeing them again, she also seemed slightly scared and doubtful.

Arturia understood immediately. She gave the girl a small, sincere smile, and squeezed her hand gently.

"I had promised we would come back, Illya, and we have kept the promise."

The smile finally reached the girl's eyes and she embraced the King of Knights again.

"I'm so happy to see you, Arturia!"

Releasing the woman, she did something neither of the two adults expected: she turned to Gilgamesh and, since she couldn't reach higher, embraced him around the waist.

"I'm happy to see you too, Gilgamesh!"

Both kings were too stunned by her actions to either stop or reprimand her. Oblivious to their reaction, Illya grasped one hand of each of them and guided them to the couches. She made them both sit down on one sofa and then snuggled in-between them.

With a very excited expression, she asked, "Please tell me about your trip! How was it? Did you find what you were looking for? Why did it take so long? What did you see? And–"

Arturia gently held up a hand to stop her flood of words and gave her a caring smile.

"Please be patient for a while, Illya. I have some presents for you first."

Arturia made her bag magically reappear – she had taken it with her the same way she always had Excalibur, something that required a little more mana but was the safest means of transport – and gave Illya the several gifts she had bought for her, while Gilgamesh was looking at them.

He had been silent ever since they had entered the room.

He had immediately caught Arturia in his arms when she had been assailed by tornado-Illya… and that fact alone had made him stop in his thoughts. She was surprisingly slim and light for being such a strong and awe-inspiring warrior – something he had already noticed when they had first received their human bodies –, and he had actually enjoyed the feeling of having her in his hold protectively.

The other thing that had taken him by surprise was the little girl's behaviour. Even though she knew who he was, she had gone to embrace him anyway – it was the second time it happened –, and had even said she was happy to see him. He would normally be appalled if anyone dared touch him, but… he had to admit to himself that he had not felt disgust nor any unpleasant feeling when she had hugged his waist.

Musing over it, the King of Heroes remained sitting on the sofa next to the other two with an oddly thoughtful expression on his face, observing the blonde woman giving the young girl presents with the same care a mother would to her child.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The two kings went quickly back to the routine they had been used to at the Einzbern Castle the previous time they had been there.

Arturia was very pleased to see that Illya had dutifully continued her studies and improved in her mastery of magic. The girl asked her shyly if she would continue to help her, and Arturia gently scolded her for thinking that she would actually say no.

Their lessons began again, at first with Arturia asking Illya to summarize everything that she had learned in her absence and then continuing with new teachings. It was no longer only Arturia reading books aloud however, because the King of Knights encouraged the girl to read as well.

At first timidly, but soon with growing confidence, Illya began to read the lessons aloud, sometimes stopping to ask for explanations on certain parts or to repeat certain passages again. There was a slight variation, though: Arturia made sure to include different books in the girl's 'program', books about geography, history, maths, technology, physics, science, biology, art, literature, languages… She wanted Illya to have knowledge not only about magic, but also about the world that was around her. The wider her culture was, the better.

In the meantime, Arturia had spoken with Jubstacheit again and, without giving him any details – Gilgamesh, who had been in the same room, had almost smirked openly at her elusiveness –, had explained that she needed to begin to stock mana. Jubstacheit had immediately presented some precious gems she would need for such a process, and Arturia had accepted them with concealed disgust.

The head of the Einzbern family was probably convinced that she was preparing the future Grail ritual and was planning to use Illya as the vessel. Even though the King of Knights strongly disliked deceitfulness, she was aware of the fact that she had not been the one to mislead Jubstacheit… he had misled himself with his greedy and selfish desires, and she would simply avoid correcting him. For the time being.

Several months passed, in which the daughter of Irisviel grew and learned a great deal under the King of Knights' attentive guidance.

Every morning Arturia collected mana in the gems she had been given by Jubstacheit, stocking a huge amount for the moment in which it would be needed during the eventual summoning.

In the evenings, after Illya was put to bed, the two kings were usually together in the living room.

Arturia had picked up the habit of reading for the two of them again, but she no longer chose books about history, mainly because they had already read everything that they needed to know about the Grail.

She began to read aloud some famous literary works, because she wished to understand more about the culture of the world they now lived in. She would then be able to be a better and more solid teacher for Illya that way.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

A few months later, Illya caught a mild cold. She didn't give it importance, quieting Arturia's worried enquiries quickly… but that didn't help in the slightest. Not taking care of it immediately made her sickness worsen, and soon she was in bed shaking with a high fever.

There was no true reason for anxiety. The Einzberns specialized in healing magic; therefore, they could look over Illya with ease and ensure her recovery.

But lowering the fever was a long process nonetheless.

The whole time while the young girl was sick, Arturia did not leave her bedside. Her face maintained a blank expression to hide her deep worry, because fever and a cold were dangers she could not shield Illya from. The King of Knights was helpless in such a situation… and she was fully aware of it, the fact not making her feel better in any way. There was nothing she could do to help the little girl.

Arturia did not sleep and did not rest, never leaving her side in quiet watchfulness. She did not say much while looking over the girl, whose fever finally began to come down.

In the middle of the second night after falling ill, Illya woke up, looking around disoriented and groggy. She found Arturia's worried green eyes on her, and she instinctively reached for her hand, grasping it in her weakened hold. Her dark red eyes were slightly unfocused but pleading.

Her voice a bit hoarse, she said, "Please don't leave… Please… Please don't leave like mommy and daddy did…"

Arturia's heart almost broke for Illya. She gently squeezed the small hand with hers and murmured, "I will not leave you, Illya."

Comforted by that heartfelt promise, the girl soon fell asleep again, this time resting more peacefully.

The whole time, Gilgamesh had been in the same room, on a sofa he had made the servants bring there. He had seen the brief exchange of words and observed Arturia the whole day without saying a word.

But as soon as the girl was asleep, he spoke up.

"You should get some rest as well, Arturia. You would not be helping the girl by becoming sick yourself."

She didn't look at him while replying, "I am not leaving her side, Gilgamesh."

He sighed in annoyance. "I didn't say you should leave. The little girl is obviously lost in her sadness and needs a reliable, comforting presence next to her. But you are allowed to sleep, King of Knights… you are no longer a spirit, or have you forgotten?"

Arturia's eyes slowly shifted from Illya to the King of Heroes, and she measured him with her gaze. Eventually she sighed in an almost imperceptible way, settled herself more comfortably in the chair next to the girl's bed and, still holding her hand, closed her eyes.

Gilgamesh stared as her face slowly relaxed as she drifted off into slumber.

He smirked slightly as he observed the sleeping woman and girl who were holding each other's hand. Arturia obviously cared about the daughter of her former Master, and the girl had become deeply attached to the King of Knights. It was not difficult for him to see that the two were good for each other because Arturia knew what being almost broken felt like, having experienced it, and therefore was probably the right person to help Illya overcome the loss of her parents. She understood the girl, and the bond that had been created between them was growing stronger every day.

Just as he had expected… Arturia was a special woman. Able to draw people to her, bind them to her… and without any cruel or malicious intent, but with the loving and pure nature of her soul.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

In the next few days, Illya began to slowly get better. She was given strict orders not to exert herself, and she complied, knowing that it was her carelessness that had made her become sick in the first place.

Arturia kept her company, talking to her about London and Japan, avoiding tiring her with any of her studies and making her stay relaxed.

One evening, the King of Knights felt more tired than usual. After tucking the still recovering Illya to bed and reading her a chapter from the volume she had bought for her in England, Arturia went to the living room.

For once, she was not holding a book in her hands as the evening entertainment, but a cup of chamomile tea. She sat down, slowly sipping on the warm drink. She had had a slightly sore throat that day and she hoped she was not getting ill; perhaps Illya had infected her with her cold. She frowned; being sick herself would not do anyone any good, therefore, it was best to prevent such a thing.

As she was drinking her tea in the silent company of the King of Heroes, she was struck with a thought. In London, they had met Waver Velvet, the former Master of Rider during the war. Even if she had not realized it earlier, such a meeting was… strange.

She had to wonder about it. How was Waver still alive?

From what she knew, Gilgamesh had fought against Rider and had won… so how had Waver survived? He had always been in the company of the King of Conquerors…

But then, how…? Gilgamesh was very unlikely to just let the boy stay alive.

She addressed the King of Heroes.

"Gilgamesh."

He looked at her.

"During our stay in London, we met Waver Velvet. I know that you defeated Rider, and that his Master was always with him. How did he survive?"

Gilgamesh sipped on his glass silently. He had had to renounce to his favourite drink during their stay in London because it was not allowed in the library – and Arturia had made sure he respected the prohibition –, but he had begun to savour his red wine again during the evenings in Germany.

He would not have tolerated answering questions coming from anyone… but he had realized some time before that giving a reply when _she_ was the one asking was never too bothersome.

"Rider asked for the honour of challenging me as a fellow king… And I granted it to him. However, he was defeated easily. His Master… he assisted to the final moments of his Servant, and displayed true loyalty to his fallen King."

He paused shortly, while observing the way his wine was reflected on the glass.

"His devotion to Rider, however foolish, was steadfast, commendable and… worthy of acknowledgement."

Arturia stared at him, her eyes slightly disbelieving.

She realized that perhaps, _perhaps_ she had been too hasty in judging him. It seemed that he kept proving to her that there was more to him than what she had been able to see.

He had known loss and true sadness, and he was much wiser and insightful than what he let on. At the same time, he was arrogant and probably had some cruelty in him, too. But the way he had behaved towards Waver… it proved that he could recognize loyalty, also in people he usually considered 'mongrels', and he could even respect it.

Maybe… maybe there was some honour in him.

Arturia's considerations lingered on him for a while longer… with more amicability than usual, and with a slightly softer expression in her eyes.

He was not as chivalrous and principled as someone like Lancer. But, at the same time…

She voiced her thoughts.

"You are an honourable person in your own right, King of Heroes."

A surprised expression appeared on his face. Had Arturia just… given him praise?

The King of Knights stood up, with her empty teacup in hand. She turned away from him and headed to the door. Before leaving, she looked at him over her shoulder and said, "Good night, Gilgamesh."

As the door closed behind her, he felt strangely content.

It was the first time she had wished him good night.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After Illya was completely healed, the usual lessons with Arturia resumed.

Gilgamesh was always on one of the couches of the living room in which they studied, and was as silent an observer as he had always been. However, the King of Knights found it more difficult to ignore his presence as she usually did… because she could _feel_ his eyes on her the whole time. She would normally have paid no attention to it, but his gaze was different from what she would have expected from him. He seemed to be… pensive.

One late afternoon Illya fell asleep in front of the living room fireplace, and Arturia put a blanket over her form. Gilgamesh was on one of the couches as usual, twirling an empty wine glass between his fingers.

The woman took out a book about the Roman Empire and was about to begin to read aloud as usual, when he suddenly stood up.

He threw his glass into the Gate of Babylon and then looked at her.

"I'm leaving."

Of all the things she could have expected him to say, that was something she had never considered.

What had he just…?

He was… leaving?

Arturia would never, ever, admit it aloud, but she was shocked by his words – which echoed hers from a long time before – and, even if she tried to hide it, it showed on her face.

He noticed, of course, and, with a slight smirk, walked towards her and leaned down to her eye level.

"You didn't think I was going to be around forever, did you?"

Those words hit her hard… because they were quite true.

During the four and a half years after the end of the Fourth Grail War, she had become used to his constant presence around her. At first, she had been wary of him, but then she had simply accepted his company as an observer. And especially in England, they had become… well, not friends, that was never going to happen, but… they had gotten a better understanding of each other. She had come to take his presence around her for granted.

But she forced herself to see the truth – he had always said that he was going to be around only until she amused him. That meant he must have found her no longer interesting… and it wasn't her place to try to understand his reasoning.

She was not hurt by the fact that he wanted to leave… not really. She found it… unexpected, especially after everything they had shared about their past, and all the details about the Grail… and yet he was leaving, just like that.

Arturia could not help it – she lowered her gaze.

However, she snapped it up again when she heard him chuckle.

"Oh, don't be so down, King of Knights. I haven't told you where I'm going yet… nor did I say I wasn't going to come back."

Her green eyes met his red ones, and she could see that he was looking at her with something significant but well-hidden in the depth of his orbs… that was strange, coming from someone like him.

In that moment, the fire cackled and a few sparks landed on the carpet, dangerously close to where Illya was sleeping. Arturia had to break his gaze to get up and put a metallic cage around the fireplace to protect the little girl. Then she went to the window, and looked outside. It wasn't too dark, and the snow made the remaining light a bit more prominent.

When she felt Gilgamesh come towards her, she turned around to face him. Their eyes met again, and Arturia waited patiently for what he was going to say.

He came closer to her.

"I'm going back to Japan for a short while. I want to keep an eye on what Kirei is doing… that mongrel could prove to be a nuisance if not properly disciplined."

Then he smirked at her.

"I'm not leaving because you no longer… _entertain_ me, Arturia… I know you were thinking about it in that pretty head of yours. On the contrary…" and his voice lowered, "as soon as I've assessed Kirei's situation, I will come back to be around my precious treasure again… so the Einzberns shouldn't even _think_ about keeping me out of here."

Arturia almost snorted, deciding to ignore the way he had referred to her.

"As if they would ever do that, King of Heroes."

Gilgamesh gave her another of his smirks. And then he did something unexpected: he leaned forward and put his hand on her cheek.

Arturia's eyes widened at his actions and she was shocked into complete stillness. She contemplated the idea of slapping him away… but before she could decide, his hand moved.

With startling gentleness, it slowly began to caress her cheek and he came even closer to her. His eyes never left hers as his other hand landed on her waist and slowly pulled her to be in his arms. From her cheek his palm, ever so slowly, began to caress her neck with infinite care.

Arturia's eyes were hypnotized, completely lost in his burning ones.

As his hand arrived on her shoulder, however, he stopped and took a step back from her, ending any contact there had been between them. His eyes were still on hers, but he didn't try to do anything else.

He turned around abruptly, going to the couch to take his coat. Arturia had not even noticed that it was there. He walked past her to go to the door and obviously leave, when she decided she had to say something.

"Gilgamesh."

He stopped, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. She turned around to face him… and she allowed herself to give him a slight smile.

"Have a safe stay… I will see you soon."

The King of Heroes turned to face her as well and walked back with a few quick steps. As he was in front of her, his hand went up again to cup her cheek, with the same tenderness from a few moments earlier. He returned her smile, with a slightly more arrogant one of his own, as his lips murmured her name.

"…Arturia…"

The next second, his hand's warmth left her cheek; he turned around once again and left the room.

As she watched him from the window while he was leaving the Einzbern Castle, Arturia did her best to ignore the still lingering feeling of his hand on her now flaming cheek.

Absent-mindedly, she realized that he had left without saying goodbye to Illya… the King of Knights allowed her lips to curve into a sudden smirk.

Oh, the King of Heroes was in for an earful when he would come back… and she was going to enjoy the show of the arrogant man being put in his place by a little girl.

...

...

 **A/N** : many, many thanks to HiddenCamellia for her never ending kindness in helping me!


	13. Decisions

**A/N** : I will address this because I got quite a few people asking… Now, no one is forcing you to read the author's note at the very beginning, but please at least read the summary of the fic. The Fifth Grail War will NOT occur. If you were hoping for such a thing, then this is the wrong place.

However, if you would like to use the basic draft of this story to write your own variation in which the Fifth War _does_ happen, feel free to do so (in fact, I encourage you to do so, because it would be a very interesting possibility!),  as long as you credit my work.

That said, I hope you enjoy this long chapter!

* * *

…

...

During the following days, Arturia pointedly ignored the very slight sense of loss she felt whenever her eyes landed on one of the couches. When she taught Illya, she did her best to avoid thinking about the King of Heroes.

As she had imagined, the young girl was not very happy when she was told that Gilgamesh had left to go to Japan for a while. She pouted and said it was very rude of him to leave without even a word, and she promised herself that she would tell him that.

Arturia hid a pleased smile when she heard her purpose: Illya was learning to be less fearful and more decisive by the day.

As the lessons continued, the King of Knights caught herself touching her own cheek more often than not. She swore to herself that she had just been taken aback by the King of Heroes's behaviour and was therefore still wondering about it… but she could not deny the fact that on that evening, when they had been very close to each other and he had touched her cheek, she had _let_ him do it.

She had not stopped him when he had touched her cheek, her neck, her shoulder, her waist… and the most surprising fact was that he had not been forceful. He had not been hesitant or indecisive, that would just not have been him, but he hadn't been coercive or violent, either.

He had been… gentle. His actions had not been uncertain, but he had given her the possibility to stop him at any given time.

That was certainly unusual, coming from someone like Gilgamesh.

Arturia did her best to avoid thinking about him, and during the day, she usually managed to do so, because Illya's wellbeing was her priority. However, in the evenings, after the girl had been put to bed and she was reading alone, she found her mind often going to the King of Heroes. She did not really _miss_ him, because he had not been of much company when being silent most of the time… but his absence was not easy not to notice. Arturia was honest enough with herself to admit that she felt lonelier than before.

She also had to admit that she had truly not expected him to leave. He had never left her side for more than four years… Having him around was something she had become used to, not only because he was a Heroic Spirit who had been given a real body – like her –, but also because, in some ways, he understood her, or at least he _seemed_ to understand her.

She did not think he was someone she could trust… but he had proven, more than once, to be different from what she had thought him to be.

The easiest way to define him, and Arturia had heard others talk about him in such a way, was to call him an arrogant king who considered everything and everyone beneath him. Arrogant he certainly was… but much less than in the past, that was for sure. He had become… more tolerant of those he considered 'mongrels'.

Moreover, he had proved to have wisdom, to have honour – even if in his own form – and to have more than enough acuity to see through people immediately.

Arturia stopped her train of thoughts. Her mind seemed to be more benevolent towards the King of Heroes, but… that was not good.

She reminded herself that, no matter what positive things she had discovered about him, he had killed his own Master. Such a man could have no true honour nor loyalty.

However… again, her thoughts became confused. Why would someone who had killed his Master then spare the life of Waver Velvet? Something did not add up there.

She had to look back on her reasoning.

She weighed her considerations carefully, and she realized… she had no actual proof of him killing Tokiomi. She had _assumed_ such a thing, since she knew that Kotomine Kirei had been involved and had later become the new Master of the King of Heroes.

But… hadn't Gilgamesh already proven time and time again how her assumptions about him were often wrong?

Considering what she had learned about him, Arturia was forced to admit that there could be another explanation. No matter how arrogant, conceited and disrespectful he was, he was not traitorous. He could be deceitful if he wanted to, and he was very good at manipulating people, but he was not a liar or a backstabber. He had too much pride to sink so low as to kill his Master.

At least, that was what she could say after analysing what she knew about him, but nothing was proved yet. She should probably ascertain her suppositions… but she could not ask him, at least not right then, since he was not there.

She would have to wait… and, for one, make sure her mind stopped lingering on him.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Some days later, Arturia was showing Illya a world map, pointing out the tectonic movements of the plates, in particular the friction between the Eurasian and the Indian plate.

Suddenly, her keen hearing picked up on some mild noise coming from the lower floors, but it soon quieted down. Still on guard but continuing with the lesson in order not to worry the young girl in case it had been nothing important, Arturia bent her head back over the map.

Without any warning, the door of the room opened.

There, standing as tall and proud as ever, was Gilgamesh.

Head snapping up in alert, the first thing that Arturia's startled green eyes saw were his penetrant red ones.

For an instant, the two kings' gazes were locked and some form of understanding passed between them. The woman's lips tilted slightly upwards, in a very close resemblance to a smile.

The next second, however, the moment was lost because a cross little white figure stood up from the table and walked towards Gilgamesh.

Illya was only a little over twelve years old, but she was a remarkable sight when she was angry. Stopping in front of the King of Heroes, she crossed her arms and glared up at him.

"You have been very rude, Gilgamesh."

He frowned slightly.

He had just come back. What was the girl talking about? And why on earth was she addressing him like that, daring _reprimand_ him?

More importantly, _why was he allowing her_ to do such a thing?

Sensing his well-hidden perplexity, Illya's glare intensified.

"You decided one day to wake up and leave. And you did just that. Did it occur to you that it would be polite to let other people know about your intentions? You didn't even say goodbye to me!"

Gilgamesh's frown deepened in something very close to confusion. The girl was angry with him because he had not said goodbye before going to Japan?

He looked up from her furious dark red eyes, only to meet Arturia's green ones. They were not giving away anything but, by then, he knew better.

Even if she was as composed and collected as ever, Gilgamesh was able to see that she was obviously enjoying the scene. He narrowed his eyes at her, but she only looked back with a bland stare.

The young girl in front of him demanded his attention once more. She was clearly mad at him.

"It's common civility to say goodbye before taking your leave, Gilgamesh. Instead, you offensively went away from the castle without a word!"

She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, before adding, "Did you at least say goodbye to Arturia before leaving?"

At hearing that, Arturia's countenance shifted imperceptibly. She mentally decided that, while it was indeed positive that Illya was a very bright young girl, there could be negative aspects in that, too.

Noticing the King of Knights's slight discomfort immediately, Gilgamesh grinned. Oh, he had said goodbye to her, all right.

"That, I did."

Illya's eyes stared at him intently, as if to decide whether he was being sincere or not. She seemed to accept his word and sighed again.

"At least you did _that_ much. But Gilgamesh, please remember to be less rude in the future. It only hurts other people."

Inwardly both irritated and amazed at the girl's words, he gave her a haughty look, did not grace her with a reply and simply made his way to one of the couches. He took off his winter coat and lay down. His trademark red wine glass appeared in his hand, and he began to sip slowly.

The scene felt so _natural_ that Arturia could not stop a slight smile from appearing on her lips.

Gilgamesh did not appear to notice, but the minimal tilt of his own lips while he was sipping gave him away; he had seen her expression.

Shaking her head briefly, she called Illya back to the table and resumed the lesson… without realizing that the troubled thoughts that had accompanied her the whole time while he had been away were gone.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

As soon as Illya was asleep in her bed, Arturia left the room closing the door silently. She headed to the living room, where she knew Gilgamesh was waiting.

She felt an unexpected nervousness, and when she interrogated herself about it, her mind immediately went to the evening in which he had left. What had happened between them was nothing much, though, so why was she feeling so uneasy?

Through sheer force of will, Arturia ordered herself to calm down. It wasn't the time to behave like… like… like an _adolescent_. Gilgamesh probably had information about Kirei, and that was where her focus should be.

Opening the door of the living room, her eyes fell on the couches… only to narrow in confusion.

He was not there.

Had he left? But surely he wouldn't have done it without saying anything. And if he hadn't left, then where was he?

Unsettled, she scanned the area quickly… and she met his amused gaze right next to her.

He was leaning against one side of the door; therefore, she had not seen him immediately. His red eyes were burning on hers, but she broke their gaze. She had taken a resolution before entering the room; it was high time for her to stick to it.

Especially after having just let her self-control slip.

She closed the door behind her and was about to head to the couch, when one of her hands was firmly snatched up in his and he made her turn around to face him. They were almost as close as they had been the evening in which he had left, and his eyes seemed to be studying every inch of her face. One of his fingers went under her chin and slowly made its way up to one of her cheeks, caressing her skin.

She could have slapped him away… but she did not.

He smirked at her, and the rest of his hand joined his finger to cup her cheek.

"Did you miss me, King of Knights?"

 _That_ was his typical arrogance she had been thinking about during the previous days. But she had been around him enough to begin to learn a few things… and she knew how to answer him.

Keeping her stance firm and her voice unwavering, she replied, "Did _you_?"

He laughed lightly and his hand gave her cheek another caress before falling down and going to rest on her hip to pull her closer to him.

"You are learning with alarming promptness, Arturia."

His hand was firm on her side as he began to guide her towards the couch. However, suspicious of his intentions – from what it seemed, he intended to have her sit in his lap –, she softly broke free from his grasp and sat down in front of him, while he took his usual place with an unreadable expression on his face.

His trademark smirk was back in place quickly, though. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You enjoyed seeing the girl angry at me earlier, didn't you?"

Arturia's attempt at an innocent expression wouldn't have fooled a child. She almost shrugged under his discerning gaze.

"Everyone's ego needs a little slap sometimes."

He gave her a half-hearted glare, before opening his Gate of Babylon and taking out a wine glass. This time, however, he took her by surprise: another gate opened next to her hand, and another glass full of the red liquid was offered to her.

With a nod of acceptance, she took a sip. She had forgotten how heavenly that wine tasted.

The two kings sat in silence in front of each other, drinking the wine. Arturia then looked up at him. It was time to get down to business.

"How was it in Japan?"

His expression became a bit more serious in a way that would have been imperceptible to everyone… but not to a woman who had spent more than four years with him.

He twirled his half-empty glass in his hand.

"Kirei is up to nothing interesting. He is looking after Tokiomi's daughter… in his own way. The Church has been rebuilt, and he is living there. But since he was not interested in taking care of the brat the whole time, he has also been keeping tabs on your former Master… Kiritsugu."

Several months had passed since Arturia had last thought about that man. But it was true, he was in Fuyuki as well.

Before she could say anything, though, Gilgamesh dropped his bombshell.

"Kiritsugu is dying."

That piece of news made Arturia's eyes widen. Looking at her intently, he continued.

"Apparently, your former Master is ill… and he has a very short time to live. Perhaps less than a month."

Completely still, Arturia did not say a word. He pressed on.

"What are you going to do now, King of Knights?"

She knew why he was asking her such a thing. The fact that Kiritsugu was dying changed many things… mainly about Illya.

When she had decided to look after the young girl, she had done it out of respect for the bond she had shared with Irisviel. The white-haired homunculus had been the closest thing to a friend she had ever had, and her end had been a very tragic one. Her daughter Illya was supposed to share that same destiny… but Arturia had decided to save her from it by taking care of her. She had also taught her enough about magic to make sure she could see her father in the crystal ball from time to time, because she was aware of how much the young girl missed him.

Arturia had also decided that, as soon as Illya was grown up, she would take her away from the Einzberns to allow her to live a normal life, and she would probably take her to see her father again.

But the fact that Kiritsugu had a short time to live made those plans no longer possible.

If Illya wanted to see her last living parent, it would have to be soon.

Arturia felt conflicted. Illya wasn't ready to take over the Einzbern family and leave… therefore she wasn't sure if it was best to take the young girl to see Kiritsugu one last time.

Troubled, her eyes fell on the King of Heroes… to discover that he was observing her keenly, clearly aware of her inner struggle. He did not say anything though; he was obviously waiting for her to make a decision.

She closed her eyes, deep in thought. It was true that Illya was not strong enough to defy the Einzberns in order to leave the castle… but with her own aid, she probably would be. She had decided to protect the girl, after all, and Illya had the right to see Kiritsugu if she so desired.

However, she realized that that was where the problem lay. It was not Arturia's choice to make. She would be honest with Illya, telling her about her father, and Irisviel's daughter would have to decide. The King of Knights would support her in her choice, of course, but it was ultimately _Illya_ 's choice.

Mind made up, she met Gilgamesh's gaze. He looked at her inquisitively.

"I will tell Illya about this… she has the right to decide herself what she wants to do."

His eyes seemed to measure her for a moment, and then unexpectedly became approving. He slightly raised his glass of wine at her, giving her a smirk.

"Sensible choice, King of Knights."

Their conversation over for the night, she stood up to leave. She reached the door, opened it and exited the room. In the short moments before the heavy wood closed behind her, she heard his words.

"I _did_ miss you… Arturia."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following day, Arturia surprised Illya by not beginning a new lesson. Instead, she made the girl sit next to her on the sofa and began something that would later be called by them 'serious talk'.

She told her about Kiritsugu's condition, and explained that it was time for her to make a choice.

The Einzberns were not going to let her leave just like that if she wished to see her father – but at the same time, it was the last time she could see him in person. Whatever decision she made, she would have to face the consequences.

Seeing Illya quite shaken by the amount of information she had received, Arturia's voice became kinder. She told her that the choice was a difficult one but hers and hers alone, and regardless of what she decided to do, she would have the King of Knights's support.

"I will be with you every step of the way you choose, Illya," were Arturia's conclusive words.

The young girl was silent for a long time. Arturia did not interrupt her thoughts, and simply waited. Gilgamesh, on the other sofa, continued to sip his wine, calm as usual.

Finally, Illya looked up. Her first words were hesitant, but they became firmer as she continued to speak.

"I… I would like to see my father… one last time. I know… that Grandfather and the rest of the Einzbern family will disapprove, and they will make things difficult, but this is my decision."

Her dark red eyes, even if slightly scared, were firm when they met Arturia's green ones. The King of Knights gave her a nod.

"I will respect your decision, Illya. This means that we will soon be leaving for Japan. And this also means… that we must be ready for the Einzberns' reaction."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The Einzberns' reaction was, in fact, the most troublesome part of it all.

Jubstacheit's frown was so deep that it seemed about to become a permanent feature on him. Arturia, with a neutral expression on her face and without speaking a word, stood behind Irisviel's daughter, while Gilgamesh was right next to her.

The woman did not know why the King of Heroes was there; knowing him, she had assumed that he would have preferred to lie down on a sofa and observe from there. Instead, he was standing by her side, with his wine glass in hand and, to anyone who was looking, he would have seemed bored.

But the King of Knights had come to know him a little… and she knew that he was actually quite interested in what was going on.

Illya was addressing her Grandfather calmly but firmly. She explained that she wished to go to Japan for a while, to see her father in Fuyuki.

There could not be words that were more unwelcome for Jubstacheit, especially coming from the girl he considered his best chance to reach the Grail.

He would _never_ allow her to leave the castle for any reason, least of all to visit Kiritsugu, the man who had failed in his mission after everything the Einzberns had done for him.

But… there was something odd. Why was Saber not saying anything? Why was she not opposing the girl's plan?

The old man's eyes narrowed even more, glaring at the girl and at the female Servant, who maintained a completely blank expression. The other Servant, with a glass in his hand, instead addressed him with a superior smirk, looking down on him.

Jubstacheit felt his anger rising. The girl needed to be punished for what she had said.

His expression darkening, he addressed her with a deadly tone.

"You do not seem to understand your position, Illya. You will not be leaving this castle, and most certainly not for such a whimsic–"

With an unexpected equally deadly tone, the twelve-year-old girl interrupted him.

"I am not asking for your permission, Grandfather. I am informing you of my decision."

Jubstacheit was, for the first time in many years, at a loss for words.

She… was defying him?

The homunculus… had the gall to _defy_ him?

His anger now boiling, he raised an arm, ready to strike with his powerful enchantments… only to discover that his magic was not responding.

For the first time since she had entered the sitting room, Illya almost smiled.

"I have been studying hard, Grandfather… and, thanks to Arturia's patient teaching, I now know how to create a bounded field to suppress any form of magic for a specific amount of time."

Her dark red eyes were determined as she stared down the head of the Einzbern family.

"I have the power to make you accept my decision… but I would rather have your consent."

Her tone became slightly kinder.

"As soon as I am done in Fuyuki, I _will_ come back, Grandfather."

Jubstacheit's anger had been replaced with incredulity when he had found himself unable to use his powers, and Illya's words had only increased his bitterness. He knew the methods she had used – they were perhaps still rudimental, but undoubtedly effective.

She was very talented for being so young… Saber's aid must have played an important role in it.

However, it seemed that he had his hands tied in the current matter. He would have to let them leave without protest… but he would make sure that, once they came back, they would pay.

Therefore, in a frosty and clipped tone, he said, "You may go to Japan, Illya."

The girl gave him a nod and turned around to leave the room without another word. As soon as she was out of his sight, Jubstacheit's expression contorted. He was livid.

His eyes landed on Arturia, and unadulterated hostility emanated from their rancorous stare. It was _very_ apparent that, as soon as they left, they would not be welcome in the castle anymore.

Arturia's expression remained carefully blank, and she gave him a slight nod, similar to what Illya had done a few seconds before. She did not seem to be fazed by his dirty look.

Jubstacheit's anger was rising again. He had allowed that female Servant to stay at the castle, thinking that they had the same common goal and that she would teach the young girl… and she had.

Too well, it seemed, especially since it was now apparent that she had no intention of following _his_ plans.

"You. Selfish. _Bitch_."

Pure venom was in his gaze as he looked at her with very calculating eyes. Still, she did not react and was about to turn around to go away, when Gilgamesh suddenly moved.

He had not intervened the whole time, silently observing – and enjoying – the scene unfold. But there was something he wanted to rectify before leaving.

He took one step towards Jubstacheit, casually put an arm around Arturia's waist and, not giving her time to react to his actions, pulled her close to his body. From there, his red eyes stared at the head of the Einzbern family with an almost sinister glimmer in them.

"Know your place, _mongrel_ – you are not worthy of even gazing upon her."

The King of Heroes's expression turned ominous for one single moment, but that was enough to make Jubstacheit take one step back in instinct.

He might not have the use of his magical powers for the time being, but he didn't need them to feel the dangerous aura emanating from the former Servant.

With one last haughty look, Gilgamesh made his way to the door… still holding the King of Knights firmly close with his arm around her waist.

As soon as the door closed behind them, though, she immediately broke free from his grasp and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Even though it was a clever move to intimidate him, there was no need for such a display, Gilgamesh."

He deliberately ignored the specific fact she was referring to and addressed instead what had aggravated him enough to act. He narrowed his eyes at her slightly.

"No one, mongrel or not, has the right to insult you like that, Arturia."

His red eyes were firm on her green ones, and for the first time, she was speechless.

No one had ever taken her defense before, or at least, not in such a way. She was far from helpless, and she knew he was perfectly conscious of the fact; but the type of insult she had received earlier was the kind she rarely heard directed at her, and therefore had simply ignored it. It was strange and yet almost… uplifting to see someone else get angry on her behalf.

The King of Heroes knew her enough to be aware of the fact that she would not care about the insult; and yet, _he_ had been annoyed by it, and had intervened.

That was… not like him.

As they parted to go to their respective bedrooms to pack their belongings, Arturia was faced with a dilemma, similar to the one that had come up in London.

Could it be that Gilgamesh _truly_ cared about her as a person, and not just as his form of amusement?

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

A few hours after facing the head of the Einzbern family, Illya knocked on Arturia's bedroom door. As soon as the woman called for her to come in, the girl hesitantly made her way to her, with quite a large amount of what appeared to be legal documents in her hands. Arturia had been carefully preparing the gems full of mana for transport, because they were all supposed to be getting ready to leave.

The girl sat on the bed and began to explain.

"A few days ago, when we decided to leave, I heard you talking with the servants… because we need documents to travel. As you know better than me, all the servants in the castle are homunculi… and most of them do not find Grandfather's methods and ways of thinking worthy of their devotion and respect. I talked to them… and they have agreed to help me. Here are the documents for you and Gilgamesh that you requested," and the girl handed her two birth certificates, two identity cards and two passports.

Arturia went through them quickly, finding them quite accurate. She was under the name of Arturia Pendragon and appeared to be twenty years old. Gilgamesh was twenty-three and his surname… she raised an eyebrow.

"Gilgamesh… Utnapishtim?" she asked the girl, who smiled slightly and nodded.

"At the servants' request, I asked him what he would have wished as surname, since he doesn't have one historically, and he personally told me he wanted this one."

Arturia kept her thoughts to herself. She knew who Utnapishtim had been. In the book she had read in the bookstore in London, a human was mentioned, a human who had been respectful of the gods when many others weren't, who had saved his family and many animals from a huge flood and was then given immortality. His name meant, "he found life", and Arturia frowned at the thought. Gilgamesh had met this immortal being and had been told about the plant of immortality… but he had also been advised against searching for it. Gilgamesh had found it nonetheless – but a snake had stolen it.

Why had he wanted to remember that fact by choosing such a surname?

Arturia pushed those thoughts away. It was not her problem, as long as he had proper documents.

Aside from those documents she had just gone through, Illya also gave her her own.

"The servants did the research about the best way to travel, and they said it's best if you take my documents as well."

The woman received the IDs for Illyasviel von Einzbern, and the girl continued, "That is mainly because I am underage, but also for another reason. I can't travel around the world without people who are my close relatives… but the other homunculi figured out a solution."

She took several papers that appeared to be official and handed them to Arturia.

"If you sign these forms, you will become my legal guardian. You should read them through because you understand them better than me, but from what I could see they make sure that Grandfather will no longer hold any power over me. You will be the only one to decide about my future."

The King of Knights was taken aback, but her first reaction was to frown.

"Illya, are you certain that this is what you want? It is not my intention to force you to do anything–.."

The young girl's earnest smile made her stop.

"Yes, it is. I will not be used by Grandfather… and I trust you, Arturia."

The woman was deeply touched by her words, and impressed by her actions. Illya, together with the other homunculi, had found a simple yet effective solution to break herself free from Jubstacheit's influence… at least legally. And Arturia was perfectly aware of all the advantages of such a solution. Illya's decisiveness was making it even better.

A small but proud smile appeared on the King of Knights's lips, and she put a hand on the girl's shoulder briefly.

"Thank you, Illya. I wish… I wish your mother were here now. She… would be incredibly proud of you."

Illya's eyes filled with tears. She threw herself into Arturia's arms and let herself be held gently as she cried. She cried until she had no more tears… but they had been liberating tears.

She was ready to take a new step in her life, and she knew she was not going to be alone.

Arturia kept the girl close until it was time to go to bed. After making sure she had fallen asleep, she went through the documents, finding them all very precise and accurate. She signed them and filled her suitcase with her few personal items. They were going to leave a few days later.

As she closed one of her bags, it occurred to her that Gilgamesh still did not know that they were going to travel by plane, from Frankfurt, Germany, to Tokyo, Japan. From there, they would probably take another plane to go to the island of Kyushu, where Fuyuki was.

She frowned. Hopefully he would agree to step on a plane with them without complaining.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

" _No_ , King of Knights."

Arturia sighed, close to being exasperated, her patience running thin after more than half an hour of repeating the same thing.

She was trying to reason with the King of Heroes.

"Gilgamesh, we don't know the effects of dematerialization on people, since we are no longer Heroic Spirits. We can't risk it on Illya. To go to Japan we have to take a plane."

Before he could say anything, she continued, "And we are going to travel in first class, therefore you will have the very best service at your complete disposal."

Gilgamesh scoffed.

"There are other mongrels who think themselves worthy of first class seats. That means it's not an acceptable solution."

The two kings were not relenting and, sitting on the same sofa, they were glaring at each other. The argument would have continued for who knows how long if Illya, who was snuggled in between them, had not spoken up candidly.

"I am supposed to be the child among the three of us…" and a giggle followed her words.

Arturia and Gilgamesh were dumbstruck and stared at each other mutely. Such a comment from a twelve-year-old girl had been quite unforeseen.

Eventually, the King of Heroes hmphed.

"Fine then. We will be travelling among those filthy mongrels. But," and his eyes narrowed at Arturia, "you will make sure to be sitting next to me, because otherwise I will _not_ tolerate twelve hours of meaningless time surrounded by those lesser beings."

Arturia suppressed a sigh but did not stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Just don't be too rude, King of Heroes."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following morning, they left the Einzbern Castle in Germany with one destination in mind: Fuyuki City, Japan.

...

...

 **A/N** : please take notice… neither Arturia nor Gilgamesh considered the fact that he could have dematerialized _alone_ from Germany to Japan, while she could have taken the plane _alone_ with Illya. Mmmm…


	14. Arrival in Japan

**A/N** : the ever lovely HiddenCamellia has written and posted a very very nice scene, set at the airport when Arturia, Gilgamesh and Illya land in Japan. It's called " **Say It Again** ". Go check it out!

* * *

…

...

Seated in three adjacent places in the luxurious first class of the plane, Arturia, Illya and Gilgamesh tranquilly waited for the long flight to be over.

The homunculi of the Einzbern Castle had advised the two former Heroic Spirits to change their appearance slightly for the journey, in order to look a bit older when being the sole escorts of a young girl. That was to be done regardless of their ages in the passports, because the display of maturity was more important. Using their powers, the two kings had done so: Arturia appeared to be in her mid-twenties and Gilgamesh just a few years older than her.

The few people in the first class stared at them with mild curiosity, because the regal countenance of the two kings did not go unnoticed. But the person who got the most attention was Illya, for her unusual features and her seemingly very young age.

The girl was polite, calm and quiet, something unusual in a child, and she unwillingly caught the attention of the other passengers because of that. After all, the flight was long, and anything that stood out a little bit was bound to attract attention.

For a few hours, she read through a book of Japanese literature, often talking about some passages with Arturia, in a low murmur that wouldn't disturb others and was heard only by the woman and by Gilgamesh, who sipped on the champagne the hostess had offered. He wasn't impressed by the taste at all, but the King of Knights had asked him to avoid making his own wine appear from nowhere while on the plane.

Towards the end of the long flight, Illya yawned, closing her finished book. She climbed into Arturia's lap, put her head on her shoulder and quietly drifted off to sleep. Arturia held the girl securely and, in a low voice, continued to exchange words with Gilgamesh, commenting the literary work they had gone through.

Suddenly, an elderly woman who was in the row in front of them spoke up.

"Excuse me," she said.

Arturia's arm imperceptibly tightened around Illya in instinct, even if the woman seemed innocuous and had a benevolent expression on her face.

"I just wanted to compliment you… You have a beautiful and well-mannered daughter."

Gilgamesh almost smirked at those words, while Arturia managed to maintain a neutral expression, even though the comment had been unexpected.

"Thank you for your kind words, but she's not my daughter. I am just her legal guardian." Her tone was quite low, in order not to disturb the girl who was embracing her, fast asleep.

The elderly woman smiled a little more widely.

"Oh, so you and your boyfriend are taking care of her! How sweet of you!"

The King of Knights raised an eyebrow. Where had that idea come from?

"I'm afraid there has been a misunderstanding, because that is _not_ the nature of our relation–"

The older woman, with a politely confused expression, interrupted her.

"But I have not seen a ring on your finger so I assumed you weren't married yet…"

 _That_ comment made Arturia's neutral façade crumble as incredulity took over. Only Illya's presence and the fact that they were currently in the middle of the sky made sure that she kept her irritation from rising.

Keeping her voice calm and collected, she said, "Please do not make assumptions. What you are suggesting is not the nature of our relationship _at all_."

The elderly woman seemed slightly intimidated and gave a civil nod before turning away. She had probably realized she had said something wrong.

Arturia, without anyone noticing, took a deep breath. She then turned her head towards Gilgamesh, who was looking at her with a very entertained expression.

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him.

Making sure that only he could hear her, she hissed, "I am surprised that you did not say anything, King of Heroes."

He shrugged – or rather, he elegantly lifted his shoulders for a second.

"What the mongrels think does not concern me."

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, unaware of the direction of his thoughts.

She had not noticed, but he had been conflicted with himself.

He knew that, not a very long time before, he would have probably corrected that elderly woman himself – and he would have rectified that Arturia was in fact not his mere girlfriend, but his _wife_.

However, he was not going to say such a thing… because he had already done that in the past, and he had come to see that there was something wrong in that. Perhaps not wrong… but he did not feel it to be right nonetheless.

He had ordered her to become his wife, trying to coerce her to accept. Even then, he had unconsciously been aware of the fact that, in reality, he needed her consent.

He felt a tad… _displeased_ with himself. He had told her that her opinion did not matter… but he had learned, against his will, that Arturia's opinion _did_ matter.

If she had just been someone he could order around, then she would have been no better than all those lowly, worthless, filthy mongrels.

He could admit, even if only to himself, that he had made a mistake in demeaning her like that… but it was a mistake he was not going to repeat.

What made Arturia so special was… _everything_ about her. She was much more worthy than any other person he had met in a very long time, and simply giving her orders was not a wise choice. Her entire being was probably one of the most precious treasures he had ever come across… and such a treasure did not belong to him. He had learned enough about her to see that.

She was a woman who had the possibility to make her choices… and it would be a true fulfilment of his dreams if she _chose_ to become his wife. Her willing consent would… _mean_ so much more if it were not forced. If she consciously accepted of her own free will.

His red eyes were on her the whole time during his musings, but the rest of the flight was spent in silence.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

When they landed in Tokyo, in Narita Airport, they had one hour of time before taking another plane that would take them to the island of Kyushu. Arturia, after debating with herself, briefly left Illya alone with Gilgamesh while she ran a few errands around the airport. After a slight problem at immigration because of his complicated surname, he had calmed down and she had decided she could allow the girl to be with him for a while.

The following flight was much shorter, and at their arrival, there was a car waiting for them, a limousine owned by the Einzberns with a professional driver. It would take the three of them to Fuyuki.

Illya's face seemed to be glued to the car's windows. Arturia would have normally told her to behave a little better, but not on that day.

The girl had been in the Einzbern Castle her whole life, only knowing about the world what she read in books… and she was still so young. Her enthusiasm about Japan was genuine… and it reminded the woman of Irisviel.

Observing her, the King of Knights was happy however to see that Illya did not possess her mother's submissiveness; that didn't mean that she was arrogant or bossy, but she simply had grown enough to learn not to meekly accept her destiny.

To be fair, Irisviel had not had the possibility to make a choice… Arturia was glad that not only did Illya have the choice, she was also _making_ one.

The excited squeals of the girl brought her out of her musings.

"Arturia, look!"

"That building is immense!"

"Look at that! I have never seen such colours!"

"Oh, that is beautiful!"

Arturia had a content hint of a smile on her face, pleased that Illya was enjoying her time there. The King of Knights's expression was tender, and she did her best to avoid the red eyes of Gilgamesh that she could feel on her.

Illya's excitement became more apparent than ever with the request she made after a while. The girl was no longer afraid of asking things, because she knew that Arturia would usually say yes if it was a sensible wish, and if she said no she always gave valid reasons for it.

"Please, Arturia, can we go around the city and visit all those strange places? Please?"

Her dark red eyes were imploring and hopeful. Arturia gave her a little smile, one she reserved only for the young girl.

"Not today, Illya. We have to take care of the Einzbern residence and adjust to the jet lag. But I promise we will go around seeing the city during the next few days."

Illya gave a wide, happy smile and moved closer to her. She grabbed a pillow from the seats in the car and settled her head comfortably on it, in Arturia's lap.

Her words were spoken softly but earnestly.

"I'm so glad you came to Germany for me, Arturia."

A rare expression of pleased surprise crossed the woman's face, before disappearing again. She began to slowly caress the girl's hair until she was sleeping. It didn't take a long time, because Illya had not realized how tired she was, and soon she was fast asleep.

As they passed by various landscapes, Arturia thought about the Einzbern homunculi.

They had become loyal to Illya, and they had done a lot for her. Not only did they create regular documents for Gilgamesh and for herself, they also made sure that Jubstacheit would no longer hold any power over the young girl, by giving her her tutelage. But they had not stopped at that. Arturia had been reluctant at the beginning, but had ultimately agreed to become Illya's legal guardian… and therefore the one in control of her whole heritage, too. Most of the Einzbern residences and money were now entitled to her.

Arturia had however made a few changes to the documents: she was only the 'temporary custodian', and as soon as Illya would be of age, everything was going to be given back to her, the rightful owner.

For the time being, therefore, Arturia Pendragon was in control of most of the Einzberns' fortune. And that included a Fuyuki estate they had newly built in Japan. The Einzberns no longer took the house that Gilgamesh and Arturia had used when they had become humans into consideration; she made a mental note to go there eventually, to decide what to do with it. It was going to be a part of Illya's inheritance, after all.

Recognizing Fuyuki from the windows, Arturia's thoughts and considerations became more serious.

There was a person in that town who could be a very dangerous threat, and that person was Kotomine Kirei. He was ruthless and cruel, and if he found out that Illya, Kiritsugu's daughter, was in the city, there was no telling what he would do, except from the fact that he _would_ indeed do something.

Together with the fact that she was in control of the Einzberns' fortune, the thought of Kirei made Arturia realize that there was a good course of actions to take.

It was for the best if Gilgamesh did not live with them.

He was not an Einzbern, and Kirei knew him quite well. He could not stay in Fuyuki together with her and Illya; it was best if he lived elsewhere… and there was only one place where he could stay.

Arturia knew that he was not going to be… happy about what she was going to suggest.

And even if she was wary of ever saying it aloud, _she_ wasn't happy about it, either.

She was a bit irritated with him. When had he, with all his arrogance and his scathing remarks, managed to make her care about him?

Among the _many_ examples that her mind was ready to give her as answers, one in particular stood out, the image of a scene in the living room of the Einzbern Castle, in which she had been in his arms and one of his hands had been on her cheek… neck… shoulder…

Arturia, taking a deep breath, firmly forced herself to push those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand.

She had to speak with the man who was sitting in front of her and whose eyes had not left her for a second, but she was inexplicably feeling reluctant.

However, it was for Illya's safety… she must disregard her personal desires.

Her mind came to another halt. When had his staying become a _desire_ of hers?

Pushing those thoughts away, Arturia forced herself to focus again. And to her surprise, she found out that she was feeling… nervous about what she was going to do.

She became annoyed at herself. She had fought so many battles without ever feeling anxiety even when all the odds were against her, and yet, a little thing such as the matter at hand was making her uneasy?

She steeled herself.

"Gilgamesh," she said, looking up at him and keeping her voice low so not to wake the girl sleeping in her lap.

His eyes, on her since the beginning of the car ride, flashed for a second. She had his attention.

"I… have a favour to ask."

Arturia hated her weakness for the slight hesitance in her words.

He didn't seem to take offence at her words – he mainly seemed interested. Slightly emboldened, she continued.

"I think it's best if you go live with Kotomine Kirei during the time of our stay in Fuyuki."

Well. That was not how she had meant to say it. She saw him raise an eyebrow and frown slightly.

Knowing that he was about to talk, she immediately went on, "You are the only person who has some power over the priest, Gilgamesh. We need him to be unaware of Illya's existence – or rather, her presence here in Fuyuki… otherwise, he will probably try to use her against Kiritsugu."

She paused, before adding, "You can't stay with Illya and me because you are not legally tied to the Einzbern family. Staying with Kirei is the best option."

Gilgamesh looked at her intently, and there was something in his eyes that made her vacillate mentally. She never had had problems in looking people in the eye – in fact, she considered it disrespectful _not_ to look people in the eye while talking to them – but for some reason, in that moment, looking at him was difficult.

She did not know that his thoughts were on the last few words she had pronounced. The King of Heroes knew that he was not legally connected to Arturia and Illya… but he couldn't help thinking that there might be a way of doing just that. If she accepted to be his wife… No. He had already thought about that, too many times for him to remember.

He could not force her; he would not manipulate her by telling her it was for the girl's sake. If she did not give her consent freely and willingly, then the marriage would not have the meaning he wanted it to have. So that possibility was not an option.

After a short silence, his expression turned pensive.

"It's quite… unexpected of you to ask me for a favour, Arturia. What you are asking is not a small sacrifice, either. I will have you know, King of Knights, that if, and only _if_ , I decide to do you this favour, it will have to be repaid in full. Are you prepared for that?"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

She agreed with him partially – she was an honourable and fair knight, and she intended to repay the favour she was asking of him… but he had not told her what he actually wanted from her in return, and she was not going to fall in that kind of trap.

Therefore, she replied, "What you ask should be a fair exchange for the favour I requested."

He narrowed his eyes at her as well.

"What you ask is not something light, Arturia. Do you think I look forward to being under the same roof as that mongrel again?"

Arturia frowned. Her tone became slightly harsher.

"It's not the time to be selfish, King of Heroes."

His narrowed eyes were suddenly serious as he weighed her with his gaze.

"I wonder, King of Knights, if, according to your point of view, there will _ever_ _be_ a time to be selfish."

Again. He had done it again.

His remarks had the power to both irritate and unsettle her… by being so direct and, often, correct.

But that was not the time to let herself be distracted. Carefully leaning over Illya's fast asleep form, Arturia picked up her personal bag from the car's floor. She took out two items she had bought at the airport, and handed one to Gilgamesh.

The King of Heroes took the silvery object with a raised eyebrow. He knew what it was – a device called mobile phone.

Arturia began to speak again.

"These are mobile phones. We each have one – they will be extremely useful to communicate, mainly because it will be the only way to do so… if you agree to go live with Kirei. They can be used for phone calls and text messages… even though I would avoid those in case someone else reads them in our place."

The King of Heroes stared at her. She was certain that he was making a decision, and she waited, trying to hide her edginess.

Finally, he gave her a slight nod and flipped the mobile phone open. It took him less than a few seconds to understand its functioning. The number of her phone was already saved in it, and his was presumably saved in hers, too.

He gave her a slightly smirk.

"Very well then, Arturia. I will do you the favour you asked for… I will go stay with Kirei. But to repay me, you will make sure to give me a phone call every evening before night – to keep a regular update on our situation."

She frowned slightly, feeling a bit confused.

What kind of repayment was that?

A call every evening? He had asked only that minor thing… which was no sacrifice on her part at all, contrary to what he was doing for her and for Illya.

However… things were complicated as it was, and if _that_ was his choice, she would not question it.

Only a few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the Einzbern mansion in Fuyuki.

Arturia gently shook Illya awake, and the girl sleepily made her way to the entrance of the house, but not before saying goodbye to Gilgamesh; Arturia was making sure that this time he would not leave without a word.

The King of Heroes was going to dematerialize; therefore, he exited the vehicle as well.

Arturia was the last one to step out of the car, with her bag and mobile phone in hand. She gave a short nod in parting to Gilgamesh, before following the girl inside. The driver was present as well, and she wished to avoid any other somehow different… _goodbye_ that he might have in mind.

She did not notice his eyes suddenly widen and him almost stumble when he saw her phone.

There was a keychain attached to it… and it was not just any key-holder.

He recognized it instantly – it was the keychain with the lion that he had given her as a gift in London.

Not only did she still have it… she had even attached it to her mobile phone.

Unexpected warmth filled his chest.

And the King of Heroes smiled before disappearing.

...

...

 **A/N** : Now go check out the lovely scene set at the airport in Japan, written by my wonderful friend HiddenCamellia. It's called " **Say It Again** " :D

Thanks for reading!


	15. Kiritsugu

…

...

The following day, after making sure that both she and Illya had slept enough to adjust to the different time and allowing her thoughts to stay on the King of Heroes long enough to admit to herself that she already missed his presence, Arturia kept her promise to the girl.

The two, both wearing matching blue summer dresses because of the hot weather, went around Fuyuki to see everything the city had to offer.

The King of Knights guided the child firmly and kindly, holding her by the hand as they walked around. Illya's excitement was stellar, especially when they came near the river. She asked Arturia for permission and then, same as her mother Irisviel, took off her shoes to go with her feet inside the water.

Those sensations were completely unknown to the little girl, and the entire day was spent in making new experiences, one after another, all under Arturia's gentle guidance.

When they went to a cliff to see the landscape, the woman gave her bag to Illya for a short while as she pushed away a few rocks, and she didn't notice the girl taking out the mobile phone. It was one of the most recent models, with a photo camera in it, and when they were on top of the cliff, Illya used it.

Arturia looked down at the city, observing the buildings and the river, and a nostalgic smile came over her face. Without her knowledge, the girl used the modern device to take a picture of her, and with a devious little smile, sent an MMS to the number saved, which she knew belonged to Gilgamesh. Then, to make sure he did not get the wrong idea, she also sent him a brief text message.

 _Hi, this is Illya. Arturia took me around the city today, and I took this picture of her. Isn't she pretty?_

She then put the phone back in the bag and gave it to Arturia.

The woman had not noticed it, because she had felt the presence of a bound field in the air around them. A field that originated from a residence in the middle of the town, in which she, Irisviel and Maiya had gone during the war. Since it was not the church, where Kirei was – _and Gilgamesh, too_ , her mind supplied –, but a former Einzbern house, Arturia knew that that was where Kiritsugu was living.

From the cliff, while Illya was happily looking around, the King of Knights studied the road to reach the place from the mansion in which they were staying. She had requested, the evening before, to have a small car at her disposal, which she would drive personally. She did not like the idea of others knowing where she went.

She was also thinking of moving out from the Einzbern mansion during the following days, mainly because the house was too large for two people, and there were too many servants. The manor was going to be Illya's inheritance, therefore Arturia would not sell it, but while they lived in Fuyuki, it was best to stay in a smaller apartment, since it was going to be only the two of them.

She had noticed several small places up for sale, and she thought it the best course of action. If anyone wanted something from the Einzberns, the mansion was going to be a perfect decoy, but they were going to live a bit away from it.

Later that evening, Arturia discussed her idea with Illya. The girl had no objections at all; in fact, she seemed intrigued and enthusiastic, even after the woman warned her that there were going to be household chores to do regularly. The girl went to bed tired but happy, exactly as Arturia had hoped she would.

Before going to sleep, the King of Knights took up her mobile. It was time to call the arrogant yet observant King of Heroes.

He answered after just one ring. She would have raised an eyebrow at that, but she had finally learned to accept some strange facts when it came to his behaviour towards her.

"Hello, Arturia."

She had to stop herself from smiling at the tone of his voice. Or was it just hearing his voice that made her smile…?

It was probably for the best if she did not ask herself such questions.

"Gilgamesh."

Her voice was more pleased than what she meant it to be, and she mentally berated herself… even if only half-heartedly. She had to be honest with herself: she _was_ happy to hear from him.

"Gone around the city today?" he asked, his voice seeming to be bored.

She nodded, before remembering that she was on the phone and he could not see her.

"Illya and I went to see Fuyuki."

"Must have been a short trip, considering all there is to see in this place."

His reply was as biting as she had expected, and she rolled her eyes, for once glad he could not see her, even though she was sure he could guess what she was doing.

"We were out the whole day, King of Heroes. Illya deserves to have the time to see the world outside from what she knows."

He scoffed.

"This city of all places in the world? If her father wasn't here, I would expect you to choose better, King of Knights."

Arturia decided it was already time to change the subject.

"What about you, King of Heroes? How is it going with Kirei?"

He scoffed again, evidently irritated.

"Compared to this mongrel's company, I can almost come to regret that that inexpressibly boring flight wasn't longer."

That meant that Kirei had not done anything worthy of notice, but she had to make sure.

"He did not question your sudden reappearance? As he didn't last time?"

She could hear his annoyance.

"There is a reason why I say he is no longer an interesting person, Arturia. It was quite entertaining to observe him during the war, but he has grown in arrogance… clouding his judgement, and proving that he is in reality nothing special among the mongrels."

He paused for a second. "The only thing that mildly interested him was the passport. And he still had enough sense to probe on your whereabouts… Not that he was worthy of an answer."

Arturia exhaled. It appeared that Kirei was less of a menace than what she had thought earlier… but she could not let her guard down nonetheless. She had to ask for a more specific favour from the King of Heroes, however reluctant she was, especially considering his current irritated mood.

"Gilgamesh… I have a request."

She did not give him the time to reply, because she knew that he would say something contemptuous.

"I need you to make sure to keep Kotomine Kirei occupied for a few hours tomorrow, while I take Illya to see her father."

It was essential that Kirei didn't know about Illya and Kiritsugu meeting. However, Arturia knew that Gilgamesh would not be happy with that, and would most certainly protest vehemently.

Instead…

"Hmph. This had better be one of the last things you ask from me, King of Knights. But you have kept your part of the agreement by calling tonight… make sure you call the next evenings as well."

Suspicious of his quick acquiescence, she enquired about it.

"Why are you assenting without too much protest?" Her mind reflected rapidly. "Is Kirei already busy tomorrow?"

She could almost _feel_ him smirking on the other side.

"Oh, very good, Arturia. You catch on fast." The compliment was not what she wanted to hear, and he was well aware of it. "Tomorrow Kirei is having a long meeting with some legal executives from London, who are coming here on behalf of the Tohsaka family. Apparently, it took them quite some time to look through all the possessions of Tokiomi, and they are now going to completely legalize his guardianship of the little brat."

It took Arturia a few seconds to remember that Tokiomi Tohsaka had had a daughter, who had been entrusted to Kirei's care. She suddenly felt a wave of sadness towards the girl. She had to be about Illya's age… and she was in the care of that monstrous man.

"It's fortunate that Kirei will be occupied, then… but I fear for Tokiomi's daughter. Wasn't her mother still alive?"

He was silent for a second, a silence that seemed strangely heavy to Arturia.

"The woman passed away two weeks ago."

Again, Arturia felt sadness towards the young girl. But she also felt that something was amiss in what he was telling her. Gilgamesh knew more than what he was saying… but for some reason, he was not willing to talk about it.

She narrowed her eyes. She sincerely hoped it wasn't anything that could put Illya in danger. If that was the case, no matter how much the sensation of his hand on her cheek and around her waist still occupied her mind, she was going to give him a piece of her mind… or rather, her sword.

She sighed and looked at the clock. It was late.

"I will call you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Gilgamesh."

"Goodnight, Arturia…"

She felt him pause for a second, before he added, "You look very nice in that picture."

And he hung up, leaving her completely confused.

What picture?

What was he talking about?

Frowning, she looked at the phone, her call with him just over.

That was when she noticed that messages had been sent… messages she had not written.

She found the MMS sent that afternoon, together with the text mail with Illya's question in it ( _Hi, this is Illya. Arturia took me around the city today, and I took this picture of her. Isn't she pretty?_ ), and narrowed her eyes.

The quality of the photo was not the best, but she could see herself in the summer dress, smiling at the landscape. And the young girl seemed to have quite the sly mind… such a behaviour was probably a result of Gilgamesh's influence.

She made a mental note to explain more clearly to Illya the concept of personal property – and another mental note to put a password in the phone.

She was about to turn off the lights when she heard the sound of a message alert. Flipping the phone open, she blushed when she read his one-word reply text… an answer to what the girl had written.

 _Indeed_.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following morning, Arturia helped Illya practice Magecraft.

She had made it clear to Irisviel's daughter that being in Japan didn't mean that they were in vacation, because Jubstacheit von Einzbern was still a threat and Illya, while talented, was still young and inexperienced when it came to magic abilities. The girl had understood and agreed with her.

In the afternoon, the King of Knights took the car and made her way towards the house where Kiritsugu lived, which was labelled 'Emiya' on the outside.

Illya, in the seat next to her, was trying to contain her nervousness to see her father again. The two had talked about it, and the girl knew that it was probably going to be only one meeting, because according to the information coming from Kirei, Kiritsugu had very little time left.

When she stopped the car in the road in front of the house, Arturia could feel her former Master's presence inside. She was quite certain that, because of the protective field that he had placed in town, he was aware of the presence of the two of them outside, but she wasn't sure whether he knew their identities or not.

She sharpened her senses for a moment – it appeared that Kiritsugu was alone.

She gave Illya a gentle caress on the cheek, indicating the door with a nod of her head. She had already told her that she would not go with her, because she had the right to meet her father alone.

The girl returned her nod, appearing slightly scared but determined. The second before she could leave the car, however, Arturia remembered an important recommendation.

"Illya."

The girl turned back to look at her.

"When you are with your father, do not mention Gilgamesh's name. Do not lie, just don't bring him up. It would create unnecessary complications."

The girl frowned for a second, but then nodded in partial understanding. Gilgamesh had been an adversary during the Holy Grail War – it was best not to talk about him in front of her father.

Arturia did not tell her anything more about that, and simply smiled at the girl.

"Go see your father. I will wait for you in the car."

Illya returned the smile and stepped out of the vehicle.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Reaching the entrance door, Illya was about to ring the doorbell of the Emiya residence, but found out that everything was open.

Deciding to take the risk, she entered, keeping her magic senses on alert.

She found herself in the yard of the house. Suddenly, the Japanese doors on one side opened and a man with dark hair and dark eyes stepped out, looking at her incredulously.

An immense happiness invaded Illya's chest, and a bright smiled appeared on her lips.

Without thinking, she ran towards the man, opening her arms and screaming, "Daddy!"

Kiritsugu caught his daughter in his arms, unable to believe what was happening.

He had felt a very powerful magical entity approaching the house, and had become immediately wary. Luckily that day nineteen-year-old Taiga, the granddaughter of the yakuza chief he knew, had decided to accompany Shirou to an entertainment park, therefore his adopted son was not there.

But he would never have imagined to see his biological daughter appear on his doorstep. He had tried to go and see her in Germany, but the protective shields around the Einzbern Castle had made it impossible for him to go anywhere near her.

Illya held her father tightly, knowing it was probably the last time she would see him. But her smile didn't seem to be going to disappear any time soon.

No one was ever going to know the exact words that father and daughter exchanged after five years of not seeing each other. They confessed they wished that things had gone differently, and then mentioned the past years.

Illya, very happy to see him, asked Kiritsugu how he was, letting him know that she was aware of the fact that he didn't have much time left, something that surprised him. She then enquired about her brother – surprising him even more; not only did she know about Shirou's existence, she also seemingly accepted him as her adoptive brother.

In response to his questioning look, the girl giggled and explained that she had learned to create the crystal ball, saying she had seen the two of them in there sometimes. She then talked about the many things she had learned about magic and in the rest of her studies, with great enthusiasm, astonishing her father.

When he asked her how she had been able to progress so much and so fast, Illya smiled widely and began to talk about Arturia.

The girl did not know that Kiritsugu had been very cold towards his former Servant, hardly ever even addressing her directly. Completely unaware of this, she described the woman's kindness and patience and the way Arturia taught her to become strong and prepared enough to defy the head of the Einzbern family, or Grandfather, as she still called him.

Kiritsugu was at first very confused to hear her say 'Arturia' with such familiarity. He realized that she was talking about his former Servant, Saber, but that… did not make much sense.

He had given Saber two last orders, using all his Command Spells, and then she had disappeared.

Although… it was true that he had seen her disappear inside the black substance pouring out of the Grail, and it was also true that the contract between them had ended when he had used the last seal on his hand.

But, assuming that Illya was talking about the same person, how could she still be alive? Had she somehow been summoned again?

He pushed those thoughts aside for the moment, going back to listening to his daughter. He was truly happy to see her again, and he soon learned from her that it was because of Arturia that she was there in the first place. Illya explained that, since the blonde woman had agreed to become her legal guardian, the two of them had been able to leave Germany and come to Japan. It was only thanks to Arturia that it had been possible – none of the homunculi would have been able to be strong enough to risk so much for her sake. She continued to talk a lot about Arturia, telling Kiritsugu how she would always be by her side and continually help and support her… but without sheltering her too much at the same time. Arturia was doing much more than just taking care of her.

Several hours of talk later, Illya looked at a clock on the wall and her expression turned sad. Both knew that it was time for her to go.

Her dark red eyes stared into her father's black ones.

"I am very happy to have been able to see you again, daddy. I promise… I promise that I will behave to the best of my abilities and will be good and–"

She could not continue, because she found herself enveloped in her father's loving embrace.

He kept his beloved daughter close, holding her tightly. His eyes were clouded in sadness.

"I… I'm sorry, Illya…"

His voice was little above a whisper.

"I wish… things had turned out differently…"

He held her even closer.

"I… am sorry…"

Illya returned his embrace, her head on his shoulder, a few tears running down her cheeks.

Enveloped in her father's arms, she murmured, "Daddy… I love you. Thank you… for everything you have tried to do."

Then she smiled in his jacket.

"Don't apologize, daddy… I understand."

Those words, unexpected as they were, helped Kiritsugu feel slightly better.

His precious daughter understood… and that was much more than what he had ever hoped for.

When their embrace ended, he looked at her intently. One of his hands went to pat her head softly, and a small smile appeared on his face.

"You are so much like your mother… Kind, calm, cleverer than what your age would suggest… and more beautiful than ever."

Illya smiled, grateful for those words coming from her father. Kiritsugu thought that he could also see Saber's influence in his daughter's mature behaviour… even if he had to admit to himself that he never really knew much about Saber.

They left the Emiya residence together, and outside the man could see a car, evidently waiting for his daughter.

It was then that the former Magus Killer realized that the powerful magical entity he had felt approaching the house earlier had not been his daughter… it was the person in the car, who was just then stepping out of it.

Kiritsugu's dark eyes could not help widening when he saw the blonde woman.

.….

Illya, with one last wave of her hand at him, ran out of the Emiya grounds and went to the car. The King of Knights was standing beside it, following the girl's movements with her eyes until she was safely inside the vehicle. Her steady gaze then landed on the dark-haired man who had been in the house talking with Illya.

The one who was her former Master.

Kiritsugu stared at the simply yet tastefully dressed woman who had been his Servant. They seemed to measure each other, neither of them breaking one of the rare glances they were exchanging.

The former Magus Killer had always avoided as much contact as possible with his Servant, making his wife interact with her in his place. Now, long after the war had ended and long after Irisviel had died, the Servant was still alive and had apparently not only looked after his daughter, but had even brought her to him, allowing him to see her one last time.

After a long silence, Kiritsugu finally spoke.

"Saber," he simply said.

Pronouncing her name was something he was not used to – especially not to her directly. And she was well aware of that. She gave him a brief nod, acknowledging him – something he had never done with her, he knew.

"You allowed me to see my daughter."

His tone was not questioning, but he _did_ want to know why she had done such a thing for him.

Arturia's gaze remained firm.

"Illya deserved to see her father one last time."

Her sentence was short, but Kiritsugu understood the look she was giving him. She had not done it for him – it had been for Illya.

He had expected as much.

He had another question to ask her.

"How are you still in this world?"

A reasonable question, since he knew for a fact that he wasn't supplying her with mana and no one else had a catalyst to summon her – the only known relic was Avalon, and he was the only one to know that he had put it inside Shirou to save his life five years earlier.

She shook her head slightly.

"You are no longer my Master, Kiritsugu."

Arturia had not given him an answer – and she had made it clear that he was not going to receive one from her. She turned away from him and walked to the driver's seat of the car.

Before opening the door, without looking at him, she added, "I will watch over Illya. She will not share Irisviel's destiny."

Kiritsugu did not show it, but he felt both surprised and relieved at the woman's words. He did not understand most of her actions, but it was apparent that he was not going to get any more information.

He was about to turn around to leave as well, when his former Servant suddenly looked up at him.

Her green eyes held his gaze firmly.

"Make no mistake, Kiritsugu. I have come to understand many choices you made in your life, and I now know why you gave me that last order. But that doesn't mean I have forgiven you – or that I ever will."

The limpid, yet heavy, look of the former King of Britain struck Kiritsugu – it was very, very ancient.

He realized then… he had never understood her.

But not only had he never understood her… he had never even tried.

He had judged and condemned her, and had never seen her as anything more than a tool.

And yet that 'tool' had understood _him_. She had given him the opportunity to see his precious daughter one last time – and was making sure that his daughter had a good life… the one thing he had always wished for her. Yes, Kiritsugu had never understood Saber, but he knew that if anyone was entrusted to her care, she would ensure their safety.

He closed his eyes for a second – he had done everything wrong with his Servant. He had not even acknowledged her as anything _more_ than his Servant… and now it was too late.

As the King of Knights opened the door of the car, Kiritsugu allowed his regret to show in his eyes. He was… thankful for what the woman had done and was doing for Illya… not to mention her unwavering loyalty during the war, which he had always taken for granted.

"Thank you… Arturia Pendragon."

Her movements, as she was stepping into the car, did not stop. She seated herself, closed the door, fastened her seatbelt, started the engine and drove off with his daughter.

But he knew that she had heard him. He had acknowledged her – for the first time – as a person.

The fact that she had not paused in her movements proved to him that it was too late to miraculously restore a bond that he himself had made sure never existed between them… but Kiritsugu had had to say those words. As much as it could appear insincere on his part to thank her and call her by her name after everything that had happened, he had needed to express her his gratitude – because he knew it was the last time he would ever see her.

He could not change his past actions… and he did not know if he actually would, if given the chance. But to be at peace with himself, he knew he had to acknowledge her – if for just one, single last time.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Less than a week later, Emiya Kiritsugu died during his sleep.

A small but regal blonde woman with striking green eyes and dressed in a black suit came on the day of the funeral, accompanying a young girl with white hair and dark red eyes, equally dressed in black. The girl was surrounded by a very melancholic aura, but it wasn't one of desperation. She was obviously sad, but accepting.

They caught the eye of more than one person who was present. No one knew what their connection to Kiritsugu was, but they had both evidently known him quite well. No one, however, dared approach them. The dignity and silence of their behaviour was enough to keep people at respectful distance.

When it was time to say the final goodbye to the man, the young girl seemed close to tears, alarming the people around her; but the blonde woman, without a word, placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. The girl smiled at her through tear-filled eyes, and buried her face into the woman's welcoming arms.

Many who witnessed the scene began to wonder if, in spite of the differences in their appearance, the two were mother and daughter.

Towards the end of the funeral, a tall, lean, blond man dressed in dark clothes joined the woman and the girl. If the woman alone had not had enough of a royal appearance, seeing her next to the equally majestic man had more than one head turn in their direction.

The power the two of them were emanating, with the young girl in the middle of them, was so intense that they could not possibly go unnoticed.

The woman talked briefly with the man in a low voice, making it impossible for others to hear what they were saying. Many saw the man quietly tucking one of the woman's strands of hair behind her ear, and she had no apparent reaction to the intimacy of the gesture.

By the end of the day, when people left after the last rituals had been completed, everyone was convinced that those three people had been a family of foreign royals who had known the dead man in some way or another.

It was ironic, actually.

It took Kiritsugu his own funeral to obtain the respect of his social-status-caring neighbours in Fuyuki.

...

...

 **A/N** : Yes, I'm being a little harsh here. I'm sorry for the sadness of the chapter. The brief scene of Arturia meeting Kiritsugu is actually the first one I wrote for this fic, because in my opinion, Master and Servant deserved to have some form of closure… as bitter as it was.

Thank you very, very much for reading!


	16. Emiya residence

…

...

As they had planned to do when they came to Japan, Arturia and Illya left the large Einzbern mansion empty and moved into a small but comfortable apartment a few streets away.

It had two bedrooms, a large kitchen that was also a living room and a bathroom. For the two of them, it was more than enough. They didn't have any servants, because Arturia was quite certain that in Fuyuki there were few people that could be trusted, and she didn't want to risk Illya's safety by having unknown strangers in the house.

In Germany, it had been different, because the servants had all been homunculi created by Jubstacheit, and most of them were loyal to the girl.

Aside from the security danger, Arturia also wanted Illya to learn to clean a house and become self-sufficient. The girl was young, but she had been used to a life in luxury, and even if that had not spoiled her, it was best that she learned to be autonomous nonetheless.

There was another reason for which Arturia had decided on such a course of action. More than five years had passed since the end of the Fourth Grail War and, according to the books she and Gilgamesh had consulted in London, after seven years, the time would be right to do another summoning… and they could attempt to destroy the cursed cup once and for all. However, the King of Knights was well aware of the fact that the operation was a very difficult one… and she knew that, even if she didn't doubt her own skill, she might not survive.

Therefore, her objective was to make certain that Illya would be able to manage life on her own. Arturia had made sure that any other legal tutors could not touch the girl's inheritance, and only she and Illya herself – when she would come of age – would have the right to do anything with it.

The two lived together peacefully; Arturia taught the girl how to go through the occasionally tedious chores of a house, showing her how important and often difficult they were. Illya was genuinely curious and eager to learn, and that made the woman very happy, allowing her to feel slightly less worried about the girl's future in case something happened to her.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, Illya became very skilled around the house, working and going shopping together with Arturia and never forgetting to clean up after herself.

The only household chore in which Illya's ability was a bit inferior to Arturia's was cooking. The King of Knights had a humongous appetite, and she had found out, to her own surprise, that she seemed to be naturally talented in the kitchen. And even if the girl was learning to prepare her own meals, she unabashedly admitted that she much preferred her legal guardian's cuisine.

After about two weeks in Japan, Arturia had discussed with Illya the possibility of her going to school.

The girl had been very wary of the idea, mainly because she liked learning with the woman she considered part of her family. Arturia explained to her that they could try with a private school, since her education had been quite different from other teenagers', and see how it went. She also told her it would be useful to begin to talk with other people her age, and not always be around adults like her or Gilgamesh. To that, Illya vehemently protested that she _loved_ spending time with them… and Arturia calmly placated her by explaining that they were not going to disappear if she started to go to school.

So, after debating with herself for a while, the girl agreed to try.

At the private school, Illya had to answer to some tests that she did easily. She was aware of the fact that she appeared younger than thirteen, but she was admitted into a class with people one year older than her nonetheless. Even so, she was accomplished enough to already know most of the classes, therefore she was given a special program, and according to that, she only had to go to school three days a week. Arturia was pleased, because that way the young girl would socialize a little but at the same time be able to continue practice Magecraft and read through other lessons with her.

Illya liked being in Japan. She had been able to take her father's death well enough, mostly thanks to Arturia's steadfast presence right beside her. School was not bad, and Fuyuki was a nice place, too. The housework was perhaps not her favourite, but she understood its necessity and did well in it.

And of course, she absolutely loved living with Arturia. Not only was the King of Knights a very good and reliable kind of person, she also had genuine affection for the girl – and Illya returned it whole-heartedly.

The girl had, however, a person she wanted to get to know: her adopted brother, Shirou Emiya.

Arturia had no real interest in the boy that Kiritsugu had taken under his wing, but she respected Illya's wishes, and agreed to take her to him.

Gilgamesh, who lived with Kirei but had phone calls with Arturia every evening – Illya sometimes chimed in, excitedly saying 'hi' through the mobile –, asked, well, actually, insisted… or rather, _demanded_ to come with them. The young girl was only happy to have him together with them, but Arturia, while internally glad for his company as well, did not understand his reasons for it.

She proceeded to ask him that as they were stepping into the car – Gilgamesh had dematerialized from the Church right next to the girls' apartment. Arturia was the one driving.

"Why do you wish to come, Gilgamesh?"

She noticed him staring at her effortless way of manoeuvring the car, but decided – as she often did – to ignore his eyes on her. And as more and more often happened, she found it increasingly difficult to do.

He gave a non-committal kind of shrug.

"I am bored with the priest."

Arturia was aware that that wasn't the complete truth, but she knew she wasn't going to get anything else out of him, either. So the rest of the ride was spent in silence, at least between the two kings, because the young girl sitting in the back chatted excitedly the whole time, trying – and failing – to control her enthusiasm.

When they arrived at the Emiya residence, an energetic young woman with short brown hair welcomed them. She didn't know who they were yet, but their appearance was respectful and distinguished enough to prompt her to be polite and invite them in. Arturia, speaking for them all, after introducing herself and her companions, asked to talk with her but also in Emiya Shirou's presence, since they had some important matters to discuss which involved him as well. The young woman, who had introduced herself as Fujimura Taiga, seemed a bit confused, but agreed nonetheless.

Explaining that twelve-year-old Shirou was preparing tea and biscuits to offer to the guests, she excused herself to go give him a hand.

As soon as they were alone, Illya nervously smoothed her green dress, making sure it wasn't wrinkled anywhere. She was a little fearful of meeting her adoptive brother in person.

Arturia, who at Illya's pleading request was wearing the same kind of dress but in a lighter shade of green, so to match her eyes, smiled encouragingly at the girl, who returned her smile gratefully.

The King of Heroes, who was wearing black pants and a dark green shirt and had his hair down – something that Arturia had not been able to avoid liking –, observed their silent interaction with interest.

The door opened again, seeing Taiga enter with a tea tray in her hands, while behind her a young red-haired boy was holding a plate with sweets.

As civility required, Arturia and Illya stood up to greet their host, and after a warning glance from the King of Knights, Gilgamesh stood up as well, his expression slightly annoyed.

From the entrance door where the boy was, only the two adults were visible, while Illya was partially hidden by the couch. And when Shirou saw Arturia, his eyes widened.

Her regal posture, the spring dress that matched her eyes and her blonde hair braided on her head mesmerized him… and he did not even realize that he dropped what he had in his hands.

Awe-struck, the boy stuttered, gaze fixated on Arturia, "You… you are… beautiful…"

The King of Knights was merely mildly surprised when the first thing Kiritsugu's adoptive son said was a compliment to herself… but she could not ponder over it, because she instantaneously felt a murderous aura explode next to her in reaction to those words.

Gilgamesh, who was standing on her side, possessively wrapped an arm around the woman's waist, pulling her to his chest, and glared ominously at the boy.

"Watch your words, you _unworthy_ brat. You don't have the right to even gaze upon her beauty, much less address her directly."

His dark aura was impossible to miss, and even Illya felt a bit intimidated by it.

Shirou, on his part, fell backwards, more terrified than he had ever been in his life.

Taiga, who had luckily just laid the tray on the small table in the middle of the room, took one step back in instinct. It was apparent to her that it was not wise to be on the receiving end of the tall blond man's wrath.

Arturia had not expected Gilgamesh to react that way, and without a warning, she found herself pressed against his chest, with one of his arms holding her around the waist and the other coming up to surround her upper body and her shoulders. Not having enough time to stop him, she found herself in his protective embrace and their bodies closer than they had ever been before. Her hands had gone up in instinct and they were intimately resting on his chest. She could feel every inch of his body thanks to the closeness, and how muscular and perfectl–..

No. She was not going to allow herself any distractions.

She could see that Gilgamesh was still seething and glaring at the poor boy, who was cowering in fear on the floor. It was best to defuse the situation before things got out of control.

She gently applied some pressure on his chest with her hands, trying to avoid thinking about how close they were.

That small gesture was enough to catch his attention, and his dangerous aura seemed to come to a sudden halt when he turned his head to look at her.

Being in his arms, their faces were the closest they had ever been. Arturia had never seen his blood red eyes from such a near distance before. Only mere centimetres separated them.

Realizing that her mind was wandering into a dangerous territory, the King of Knights forced herself to concentrate on smoothing out the situation at hand. She opened her mouth to speak… but it did not help when his eyes immediately fell down on her lips as they started moving.

"Gilgamesh, please calm down."

Her voice was low, so that only he could hear her, and it was much softer than she intended it to be. More importantly, it strangely seemed to do the trick.

His eyes, which had been burning with anger, seemed to clear up and focused on her face more securely. The malevolence emanating from him seemed to have vanished, and the three other people in the room relaxed slightly.

Arturia moved one of her hands from his chest to his arm, indicating the wish to be released. His grip on her loosened, but he did not let go of her. When she gently tried to press on his chest again, the look in his eyes made her stop. Had they been alone, she would have perhaps broken free completely using her powers, but it was best to let him cool off on his own terms since they were in someone else's home.

So she settled for remaining still, her small figure still surrounded by his strong arms.

Taiga went to help Shirou stand, cleaning up the sweets and the plate that he had dropped on the floor, before leaving to get other biscuits for the guests. The young boy, still trembling a bit, was left alone with the strange visitors.

Arturia, seeing that Gilgamesh had no intention of releasing her anytime soon and judging it best she did not address the boy, so to not instigate another fiery reaction from him, met Illya's gaze and gave her a nod.

The girl nervously took a few steps towards Shirou, and then extended her hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Illyasviel von Einzbern. Nice to meet you."

The boy, who had still been scared until that moment, suddenly changed expression.

Looking animated, he took her hand to shake and said, "I am Emiya Shirou… and you must be my sister!"

Before any of the three guests had the time to say anything, Taiga was back with the biscuits and cheerfully invited everyone to have a seat. Gilgamesh finally released Arturia's form, but held her wrist firmly, so that she had no choice but to sit right next to him on the couch, their legs and shoulders touching. The King of Knights gave him a flat look, indicating that his antics were beginning to get over the level of normalcy.

Illya sat on Arturia's other side, while Taiga and Shirou sat on the couch in front of them. The blonde woman decided to explain, mostly for Taiga's benefit, because the boy seemed to already know the girl's identity.

"We have come to see you today because of Illya's wish to meet Shirou. She is Kiritsugu's biological daughter… and has expressed the desire to get to know her adoptive brother."

Taiga seemed quite surprised at the news, while the boy nodded enthusiastically.

"Otou-san told me that I had a sister, and he said he wished for me to see her one day!"

He looked at Arturia when saying this, but immediately averted his eyes, shrinking away in fear, when he felt Gilgamesh's awakened glare on him. The man made his arm go around Arturia's waist again, pulling her to him, and his aura seemed to turn darker by the second.

It was obvious to both Taiga and Shirou that he was not a man to be angered.

Arturia, however, was finding his behaviour exaggerated. She had, strangely, felt very little irritation at his earlier protective reaction, but seeing his temper rise only because the boy had _looked_ at her was really too much.

Her hands were both neatly folded in her lap, but she moved one of them, allowing it to rest on his chest in a calming gesture. And again, as if she had cast a spell, his anger seemed to vanish as his gaze met hers once more.

Her clear green eyes, perfectly matched with the lovely summer dress she was wearing, silently gave him a message.

She was both reassuring and warning him. She would allow him to keep his arm around her, as long as he stopped being so menacing towards their hosts. Wordlessly understanding her bargain, he gave her an almost imperceptible nod and tightened his hold on her.

Arturia refused to let her mind linger on the fact that she had reached such a point of understanding with the King of Heroes that they could now communicate without speaking, and continued talking.

"If we are not being too invasive, I would suggest we come visit more frequently in the foreseeable future… I know that Illya greatly wishes to be close with someone she considers part of her family."

Shirou and Illya both seemed excited at the prospect, and Taiga did not seem adverse to it. She was not going to acquiesce immediately, though.

Inclining her head to the side slightly, the brown-haired woman said, "I hope you will understand that I would first like to see some proof of your relationship with Kiritsugu. I am aware of the fact that he had a family abroad that he had to leave behind for some reason, but I need to see evidence of it. If, however, this detail is clarified quickly, I have no objection whatsoever at having Shirou spending time with his sister."

Arturia looked at the woman with a keen expression. Even though she was young, it appeared that she was indeed mature enough to look after a boy. And she was smart enough to not just accept their word. Therefore, she nodded at her.

"I have all the documents that prove that Illyasviel von Einzbern is the daughter of Emiya Kiritsugu, and that I am her legal guardian. To make the exchange fair, miss Taiga, I would like to see proof of the fact that you are Emiya Shirou's guardian as well."

The brown-haired woman seemed slightly taken aback but pleased with the answer. She nodded.

"As soon as we make sure that our identities are what we claim them to be, you can drop the formalities with my name. Please call me just Taiga. I have one question though."

She took the teapot and carefully filled a cup, which she then offered to Arturia. She seemed to hesitate before continuing.

"If you are the girl's legal guardian, what role has… um… Gilgamesh, was it?"

Arturia was completely aware of the fact that if she did not answer soon, Gilgamesh would say something offensive. The tightening of the arm around her waist was all the warning she needed to immediately speak up.

"It's… difficult to explain."

That was the truth, but elaboration was in order.

"Even though he is not related to the Einzberns, he… has been with Illya and me during the past five years, when Kiritsugu was not there. So he can be considered our companion."

Arturia avoided looking at Gilgamesh as she said that, because she had no idea how he would react. And whatever the reaction was going to be, she knew that it would distract her, and she wanted to stay focused.

Even though her mind wickedly pointed out that the feeling of his arm around her waist was already a distraction…

Thankfully, for the King of Knights's internal peace, Illya chose that moment to lean towards her and tug at her dress.

Meeting her gaze, she murmured, "Can Shirou and I go outside while you adults settle the legal documents?"

Arturia shook her head slightly.

"Not before we have verified our identities. It won't take long, and after that, you can go."

The girl nodded in understanding and helped the woman take the copies of the documents out of the handbag, because Gilgamesh's closeness made it a bit difficult to manage them.

Arturia then leaned forward to show them to Taiga… and that was when she felt his breath on her neck. Suppressing a shiver, she immediately leaned back against the couch.

To her chagrin, she saw that he had noticed her reaction. The ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips, and his free hand went to her cheek, caressing it with its back, so swiftly that no one noticed and she did not have the time to react.

That slight touch was enough to make her hyperaware of the contact between them, and she mentally berated herself for her weakness.

She felt again thankful for Illya's presence. Concentrating on the girl helped her ignore the foreign sensations that his touch… no, just his presence… was provoking in her.

Taiga examined the copies carefully. Arturia of course had not given her the originals, and she looked at the woman keenly. It was obvious that she was an easy-going and open-minded person, at the same time seeming to possess enough inner steel to be reliable and have the responsibility over a young boy.

However, from what she had seen, Arturia thought that Taiga was not as mature as an adult should be…

…or maybe was it just because she had been so used to being around adults who had been forced to grow up because of tragedies that she didn't consider the brown-haired woman on the same level?

Perhaps that was the case. As Taiga left the room briefly to take her own documents, Arturia mentally weighed her.

From the way she behaved, it was clear she was a person who had not experienced true calamities in her life… the complete opposite from Kiritsugu.

And that was probably why her former Master had given to someone like her the custody of the boy he had adopted. He wished for his son to have a life as _normal_ as possible… and Taiga fit into that category perfectly.

Arturia considered. If that was truly the case… then it would be beneficial for Illya to be around someone like her, too. The girl's wish to spend time with her sibling… might be for the best.

Taiga came back with some papers that Arturia examined. They were signed by Kiritsugu, and gave the guardianship of Emiya Shirou to Fujimura Taiga, and the documents that identified the woman described her appearance correctly.

There was no doubt that all the people in the room were exactly who they claimed to be – and the two children took that as their clue to finally go outside and get to know each other better by playing together. Both Taiga and Arturia followed them with their eyes, softly smiling at their eagerness.

Taking a sip from her so far untouched tea, the King of Knights lightly entered into small talk with the brown-haired woman, who quickly revealed herself as a very chatty person. The blonde woman encouraged her talk by asking questions about her, Shirou and Kiritsugu, learning quite a bit about the life her former Master had led in Fuyuki after the end of the Fourth Grail War.

Gilgamesh, during the whole conversation between them, did not utter a word and simply kept his arm securely around the petite woman by his side. Arturia could feel his boredom level increasing, but she decided to ignore it. She did not mind Taiga's incessant talking, because not only did it give her a lot of information about the boy who was currently playing with her ward, but also because it made sure that _she_ didn't have to say much about herself or Illya.

And while the two children were busy playing, the three adults had to pass the time in some way or another, after all.

A few hours later, when it was already evening, Arturia decided it was time to take their leave. She politely said goodbye to a very friendly Taiga, and she called an unwilling Illya to the car. She made sure that the two children, who had had quite some fun together, decided on the next day in which to meet without making their respective schedules conflict, since they attended different schools.

Before they went, she noticed that the boy was looking at her again, but immediately took a step back in alarm when he saw the King of Heroes's glower towards him.

The car drive to the apartment was filled by Illya's very excited tale of what she and her brother had played together that day. Arturia listened with a soft, small smile, happy that the girl had had a good time. However, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Gilgamesh seemed to be deep in thought. She frowned imperceptibly, resolving to ask him about that later.

When they arrived at the apartment, Illya said goodbye to the King of Heroes and went inside, promising to go to sleep soon, while Arturia remained by the car with him for a while longer.

Her gaze questioning, she looked at him.

He returned her stare with a scowl on his face. He seemed to be deeply irritated.

"That bratty mongrel is not worthy of gazing upon you."

She was slightly taken aback and eyed him warily. His anger was not to be underestimated, and it seemed to have been triggered. Without even realizing what she was doing, Arturia touched his arm in a calming gesture.

"Gilgamesh. He is just a boy. A young boy. The only thing he did was make a comment. Perhaps it was not the best thing he could say, especially having just met us, I will give you that. But you have terrified him already. I think that is more than enough."

She frowned, and decided to speak her mind.

"This kind of reaction is… unusual for you."

He seemed to calm down instantly as soon as she touched him, and with startling gentleness brought his own hand up to cup her cheek. He gave an expression that was half-smirk and – unexpectedly – half-smile.

"My reactions are always singular… when _you_ are involved."

Arturia's breath was stolen away by those words and the look on his face.

There he was, an adult handsome man, clever, observant and insightful, who continually unsettled her with everything he said to – and about – her.

However, not in the same way he did in the past. No, the feelings that his actions ignited were different. New and unknown, and almost frightening.

Nevertheless, she was the King of Britain, and she would not allow those unfamiliar sensations to control her.

But she would not let herself be scared by them, either.

By then, she had realized that there was _something_ that connected her to the King of Heroes – something that wasn't their condition as former Heroic Spirits. She could not identify it… but she knew that there had been a gradual yet _huge_ shift in their relationship.

She looked into Gilgamesh's eyes deeply, showing in her own the curiosity he managed to elicit in her. Her lips tilted upwards a little and, savouring the feeling of his fingers on her cheek, she allowed herself to slightly, very slightly, lean into the touch.

His eyes seemed to widen a bit when he noticed – because of course, he _would_ notice – and his other hand came up to boldly rest on her other cheek.

But as much as Arturia welcomed the strange and foreign sensations she was feeling in that moment, it was late… and Illya was already inside the house, waiting for her.

The thought of her ward immediately brought Arturia's mind back to earth and she reluctantly moved away from him.

She didn't miss the briefest flicker of disappointment in his eyes, before he took a step back and turned around.

Looking at her over his shoulder, he said, "Remember our agreement, King of Knights. A call every evening."

And he vanished into thin air.

As soon as he disappeared and she entered the apartment, Arturia was struck with a thought. He could have dematerialized already from the Emiya residence to go back to the Church; there had been no need for him to go with them in the car.

As much as it was presumptuous to think in such a way… she knew why he had done it. He had wanted to be in her company for a while longer.

Locking the door, Arturia felt a strange warmth in her chest at the thought.

And she could not help smiling softly.

...


	17. A song and a new encounter

**A/N** : I just wanted to say that I'm very, very grateful for all the reviews-favs-follows, and I hope you will like how this story continues :)

Thank you for reading!

* * *

…

...

Going to meet Emiya Shirou was one of the last occasions in which the two kings were together – and with Illya, Arturia reminded herself – for several weeks of time.

They had to be more careful after that and only communicate through phone calls, mainly because of Kirei. It was true that the man, who had become a great deal more arrogant, was no longer as threatening a menace as he had been in the past, but it was best if he did not find out about Illya's presence in Fuyuki nonetheless. And, even if he had other duties to tend to and would not monitor the King of Heroes constantly, he might get suspicious if he left too often.

The priest, though, did not seem to have any interest in Kiritsugu's adoptive son, and that made sure that Illya and Shirou's friendship, which had tentatively started the first afternoon in which they had met, could continue to grow.

The two children wanted to get to know each other, because they were siblings, at least in the eyes of the law, and they both had memories of their father to share.

Arturia, after always confirming that Kirei was otherwise occupied during her evening phone calls with Gilgamesh, often brought Illya at Shirou's. To her mild amusement, she noticed how the boy did his best to avoid even looking at her, and she mentally rolled her eyes each time, thinking that the King of Heroes had exaggerated a bit in terrifying the kid.

The first times she brought Illya to the Emiya residence, Arturia remained there as well, conversing with Taiga – well, mainly letting Taiga talk while she listened – and sometimes to what the two children told each other, too. But after a while, the King of Knights began to give more space to the young girl, for several reasons.

For one, around Kiritsugu's house there was still a strong protective field, therefore the place was not unguarded. Illya had become very skilled in magic, and Arturia knew she could trust the girl to take care of herself. Her ward was growing up, after all, and she could not continue to be shielded by her the whole time. Another important factor that influenced Arturia's decision was the fact that neither Taiga nor Shirou could use magic in any form and way. Both she and Illya had been able to confirm that, and it was something that reassured the blonde woman. In addition, during her initial stay, she had come to see that Taiga, in spite of her playfulness, apparent air-headedness and constant chatter, was a reliable person when it came down to it. Arturia exchanged phone numbers with the woman, knowing she could put enough faith in her, at least when it came to Illya's safety inside the house where the Fujimura woman lived with the boy.

Arturia talked about all that on the phone with Gilgamesh. As she had promised, she called him every evening, usually summarizing the day's events and asking how it was going with Kirei. He scoffed and made snide remarks on the mongrel's arrogance, manifesting his irritation with him very clearly.

One evening, Arturia was sitting on her bed, talking on the phone with Gilgamesh and explaining worriedly that Illya had been in a very pensive mood the whole day.

There was a sudden knock on the door and a soft, "Arturia?" coming from the other side.

Recognizing Illya's voice and knowing that Gilgamesh had heard her, too, she quickly murmured, "Forgive me, Gilgamesh. I will call you back in a while."

She pressed a button and put the phone on her bedside table.

"Come in."

Illya came inside, dressed in her pyjamas. She seemed a bit sheepish and kept playing with her hair.

"I don't mean to disturb you, Arturia. I'm just thinking… about mommy."

After a short silence, she added, "She would have loved to live here in Japan… with me."

Without making a sound, Arturia moved slightly from her sitting position on the bed and opened her arms to welcome the girl. There was a carpet made of wool on the floor, and that was where Illya seated herself, putting her head into the woman's lap.

Silence followed, as the former King of Britain quietly and softly caressed the girl's white hair. She knew her ward needed some comfort.

Illya began to speak again.

"You know, mommy sometimes sang to me in the evenings. I know that this is a bit much to ask but… just for tonight… would you sing me a song?"

That was something the woman had not expected her to ask. It was a very surprising request… and a difficult one.

Arturia was not the type to refuse when Illya's wish was a fair one, especially not when the girl was feeling sad, but… she did not really know any songs. She had spent too much time on the battlefield to know much about lullabies and tunes. She had never had the occasion to…

… but she suddenly remembered. After a very gruesome battle, she had once heard a woeful song from a mother to her fatherless child… and she had been impressed by the lyrics. She could still recall them.

So the King of Knights cautiously cleared her throat.

"It will not be anything special, Illya, and it won't be even close to what Irisviel was capable of. But I will try."

Softly, voice slightly trembling but quickly gaining confidence, Arturia sang a mournful, sad melody, allowing her voice to carry the pain and sorrow that she had known herself during her life in the past.

" _You are my moon,_

 _You are my sun,_

 _You are the stars in my eyes._

 _I am alive only for you,_

 _You are the hope of this broken heart._

 _You are my beautiful dream,_

 _To whom all my hopes are bound._

 _The wind blows through the forest and birds fly through the garden,_

 _Someday you too will fly in the sky like a cloud._

 _You are so tiny, and so beautiful,_

 _You are so little, so precious._

 _You are my moon,_

 _You are my sun,_

 _You are the stars in my eyes._ "

She was grateful that no one else but Illya was ever going to hear that, because she would have otherwise felt very, very embarrassed.

She noticed that the girl was crying by the end of the short song, so she took a handkerchief from her bedside table and tenderly dried her cheeks.

The young girl hugged her around the waist.

"Thank you so much, Arturia… You are too good to me."

The woman returned the hug.

"Don't say such a thing, Illya," she kindly chided.

The girl finished wiping away the rest of her tears, thanked her again and reluctantly stood up to go to sleep. Arturia accompanied her to her room, affectionately tucking her to bed, turning off the lights and wishing her a goodnight.

Back to her own room, the King of Knights took the phone that she had left next to her bed, intending to call Gilgamesh.

But, to her initial confusion and then dismay, she realized that the phone call had not been ended… she had instead put the phone on speaker.

She gasped.

She heard a soft chuckle, slightly distorted because it was coming from the phone.

"Oh yes, King of Knights," came his voice through the device, "you didn't end the call, so I could listen to everything."

There was a short pause full of tension. Arturia, who had turned crimson and was thanking every deity in the universe for the fact that he could not see her face, forced herself to speak.

"You… you heard."

His tone was quite casual, as if he was commenting the weather – not that he would _ever_ do such a mundane thing.

"When you called tonight, I did not expect the evening to become this entertaining. Such a performance was definitely worth coming to live with the mongrel."

Time to change the subject, Arturia decided. Doing her best to push aside her embarrassment, she quickly reflected to find something that would divert his attention… and she steered the conversation towards Taiga. She knew that he did not care about the woman, but he was still disgruntled whenever anything about the 'bratty mongrel' came up, so it was the safest course of action to distract him.

Her mentioning the woman earned her a non-committal scoff on his part, and she mentally sighed in relief. She had no intention of talking about the scene that had just taken place between Illya and her.

However, there was only so much she could say about Taiga, and then she found herself at a loss for words. Deciding it was time to _really_ end the call, she was about to break the short silence by saying goodbye, when he prevented her from doing that.

His voice was low and thoughtful.

"You know, Arturia… Having you to take care of her is the best thing that could have happened to that girl. She should be more grateful for it."

Eyes wide, the King of Knights did not even have the time to say a word before he ended the call himself.

Arturia stared at the device in her hands. She hoped he would stop with his strange behaviour towards her soon, or she would seriously begin to question her sanity.

In the past, he had made it quite clear that he found her dedication to Illya… interesting. He had told her that it was quite fascinating to see her try to change the girl's destiny.

However, he had never explicitly approved what she was doing… at least not the way he had done that evening.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Gilgamesh was leaning on a couch in the newly built Church, a glass of red wine in hand. He was bored out of his mind.

Living with the priest was much more tedious than what he had told Arturia. Not only did Kirei never do anything interesting, he was also convinced that he was instead doing just that, and therefore there was no hope of him becoming intriguing in any way.

The King of Heroes could admit privately that perhaps being together with someone as captivating as Arturia during the former five years had a bit influenced his point of view, but Kirei had really dulled as a human being.

For example, when Gilgamesh had come back with legal documents for himself and only offered a very vague explanation on how he had procured them, the priest had not showed to be particularly suspicious and had seemingly accepted his word, only irritating him further.

Kirei had not been like that during the war. He had been a calculating, manipulative and distrustful man. He still was, in some ways, but he had become arrogant. That in itself was very uninteresting, but the fact remained: Gilgamesh enjoyed being around people who could catch his interest and perhaps even challenge him, regardless of them having good or bad intentions.

Kirei had been interesting to observe during the war, but he had become so arrogant that he no longer had the traits that had made him such. He was purely evil, simply enjoying inflicting pain on others without them knowing it. Eventually, Gilgamesh knew that he was going to be so irritated by the mongrel that he would have to dispose of him.

Again, he wondered if perhaps being around Arturia so much had changed his perspective of interesting people. Whatever the case, he did not care. As it was, he found Kirei to be one of the most annoying people to have nearby, and he was very displeased at not having the King of Knights with him.

He had rarely been away from her for more than five years. He was aware of the reason why she had suggested he go live with the priest and found it quite a reasonable decision to protect the girl she was legally responsible for, but he did not like to have to be apart from her.

At least he had been able to make sure she called him every evening. After another unbearable day with that mongrel, he admitted it was a relief to hear her voice, even if it was coming through an infernal device created by modern humans.

And some unexpected surprises had come along as well… like when he had had the chance to listen to her singing to Illya. That had been quite… astounding, coming from the King of Knights. He could honestly not judge the quality of her singing because of the device that did not do justice to the voice, but he had found it very interesting to hear the specific words and the maternal way in which she comforted the young girl.

Thinking of young girls reminded him of the child entrusted to Kirei's care. He almost rolled his eyes.

The girl, Rin Tohsaka, from what he had briefly been able to see, had a little more resemblance to her mother than her father, but that was all he knew about her. And he did not wish to know anything else, even if he was aware of the fact that Arturia would have disagreed with him.

He almost groaned aloud.

That woman seemed to have found a place for herself in his every thought.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Doing the shopping was something that had been done by the servants for a long time, but since they had gone to live in an apartment, Arturia and Illya usually went together to buy everything that they needed. Also, it was best not to have any servants, homunculi or not, to go around the city on their behalf.

One afternoon, Arturia left Illya at Shirou's and went to the huge shopping mall in Fuyuki. She did not go often, because it always made her feel strange; it was something so… _domestic_.

She had to buy new summer clothes and shoes, because spring was almost over and summer was beginning to make its presence known. She had gone to buy clothes with Illya a few days before, and had focused on finding proper sizes for the girl; therefore, she needed something to wear herself.

Knowing that it was best to adapt to the way the local people dressed in order to avoid standing out too much, she found several dresses that would suit her, choosing different colours and designs and matching sandals, and as few accessories as possible beside handbags.

As she was patiently waiting in line to pay for her articles, she saw a young girl with long black hair partially tied up in two ponytails, who was looking at two coats with a very indecisive expression on her face. The coats had the same tailored cut, but one was blue while the other was red. Arturia looked around discreetly, noticing that the girl – whose appearance gave the impression to have something familiar or at least, something she recognized from before – seemed to be alone.

More importantly, and Arturia was certain of it, the girl was able to use magic… the mana that surrounded her was quite strong, even if it appeared to be a bit untrained.

Right then, the King of Knights spotted a sales clerk going swiftly towards the girl, with the obvious intention of 'helping' her out. She knew from her experience there with Illya that that shop assistant was a very insistent person, and it had taken her a great deal of her personality to drive her away.

Arturia found herself taking action before thinking. She left the line and went up to the girl, who eyed her warily but not with real alarm. The shop assistant, noticing the blonde woman, stopped in her tracks and turned around to leave, disappointed.

Arturia gave a kind smile to the girl, who in turn noticed the saleswoman who was leaving and shuddered slightly. Quickly understanding the situation, she directed a grateful expression to Arturia, not seeming shy or afraid in front of her.

"Thank you, ma'am. That shop assistant can be a nuisance."

Arturia raised an eyebrow at the girl's blunt way of saying things, but nodded at her.

"You're welcome."

She hesitated for a split second.

"If I may… I would recommend the red coat. It suits you better than the blue one."

The girl seemed to be taken aback, and observed Arturia keenly. Realizing that the woman's kindness was genuine, she seemed even more surprised. Her suspicions seemed to disappear and she smiled with more warmth.

"Thank you, ma'am. I will follow your advice."

Even if the thanking words were the same as before, there was now a little more than just politeness. She was evidently a girl who wanted to be alone, and was used to it.

The line in front of the checkout had already dispersed, and the girl went to pay for the red coat she was holding. Arturia got in line behind her, waiting for her turn.

The girl put the coat on the counter and determinedly said, "Put this on my card."

The woman in front of her, however, smiled apologetically.

"I'm very sorry, miss Tohsaka, but Father Kirei called to block your credit in the shop. He said he doesn't have the possibility to cover new expenses for a while."

The black-haired girl was dismayed, and completely failed to notice Arturia slightly tensing up behind her.

"But… but that's idiotic! Of course he can pay! I will need this coat!"

The woman seemed positively contrite. "I'm very, very sorry, miss Tohsaka, but there is nothing I can do."

Arturia observed the scene, thinking quickly. So, it appeared that that girl was Tokiomi's daughter, of whom Gilgamesh had briefly talked about… Rin Tohsaka. And from what she had just heard, it appeared she was being closely controlled by Kirei.

The woman was reminded of Illya's situation… not being able to anything on her own… not even something minor as buying her own clothes.

The impulse was immediate and she decided to follow it. She briefly checked to have enough money.

Arturia took a few steps forward, calmly putting her own purchases on the counter and looking at the shop assistant.

"Please add the red coat to these articles."

The girl was too surprised by the unexpected turn of events to do anything, and the saleswoman was too intimidated by Arturia's royal countenance to question her. The King of Knights paid for everything, took her own bags and handed the neatly folded coat to the girl.

Rin seemed to be conflicted, looking between the blonde woman and the coat, but she was smart enough to understand Arturia's warning glance towards the shop assistant. It wasn't wise to discuss anything or start a scene there. So the girl simply murmured her thanks and took her brand new piece of clothing, following the woman outside.

As soon as they left the shop, however, Rin immediately challenged her.

"It was very kind of you, ma'am, but you should not have interfered. This is a personal family issue you should not get involved in."

Arturia simply looked at her, deciding it was best to let her know that she had more knowledge about her than what would appear at first glance.

"Kirei may be your legal guardian, but he has no right to prevent you from using your family's money, especially for everyday needs."

The girl's eyes widened and she looked at the woman in wonder, before becoming suspicious once again. Not allowing her the time to say anything, however, Arturia gave her a kind smile.

"I am sure we will meet again, Rin Tohsaka. Please take good care of your new coat… and be careful around the priest. Have a nice day."

She turned around and walked away, leaving a dumbfounded black-haired girl behind.

...

...

 **A/N** :

I decided that Kiritsugu did not teach Shirou anything about magic, because it simplifies things for me. I'm afraid I'm not exactly a fan of Shirou, in case you hadn't noticed.

The lyrics of the song are from the movie "Aradhana", year 1969. The song is "Chanda hai tu, mera Suraj hai tu" in Hindi. I changed and shortened it a bit. Many thanks to HiddenCamellia for recommending it to me!

I hope you enjoyed meeting Rin; I know she is not exactly likeable right now, but give her time ;)

Thanks for reading!


	18. Rin Tohsaka

…

...

As she went back to the Emiya residence, Arturia reflected on her brief encounter with the girl. She wasn't sure what kind of person Rin Tohsaka was, especially considering her young age.

She was confrontational, unafraid, suspicious of people but not particularly cautious, evidently smart but not the type who thought things through completely. She seemed to have a strange personality: gruff and brusque in exterior, much softer and probably fragile inside. Arturia could see the effects of Tokiomi's upbringing, and she did not like it.

She did not know the details, but she was aware of the fact that Tokiomi's death had been a horrible betrayal… however, he had certainly been no saint.

It was best to discuss those considerations with Gilgamesh, who had been Tokiomi's Servant and probably knew more about him than her. To be fair, Arturia mused, it was not bound to be the truth, because she had been Kiritsugu's Servant and had known close to nothing about him. But Gilgamesh was better at reading people than her – he would most certainly be able to provide more information.

She was going to do that because Arturia had decided to begin to look into Rin Tohsaka's life… and hopefully find a possibility to free her from Kirei's shadow over her. But she needed to discover more about the girl first.

Of one thing, the King of Knights was absolutely certain: Rin didn't like Kirei. At all.

That meant that she was not going to talk to him about meeting a strange woman, and therefore her identity was not at risk of being exposed.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After picking up Illya at the Emiya's – where Arturia had a brief but important request for Taiga about the following days –, the King of Knights cooked dinner, and spent the evening doing some housework with her ward while listening to her talking about her time with her brother.

When it was time to go to sleep, the King of Knights dialled the number of the other former Heroic Spirit. As usual, he answered after only one ring.

After summarizing the other events of the day, Arturia approached the subject in which she was interested the most.

"When I was at the mall, I had quite the strange meeting. I saw Rin Tohsaka."

On the other side, she knew that Gilgamesh was listening a bit more intently.

She briefly explained the coat incident, and continued, "I was wondering about the reason why Kirei controls her money and therefore, to a certain extent, her life, in such a way."

The King of Heroes was completely aware of the fact that she wanted to know more, and he scoffed.

"Kirei is not completely in control of the Tohsakas' heritage. Apparently, even if Tokiomi left everything entrusted to his care in the will, the family's attorneys in London had some sense and they didn't allow the Tohsakas' riches to be safeguarded by a complete stranger. Kirei only has some form of minor tutelage, or so it seems."

Arturia frowned. Then what had happened that afternoon didn't make much sense. She repeated to him the shop assistant's words.

"Could you please look a little more into this, Gilgamesh? That girl's entire future is on the line if Kirei manages to extend his full control over her."

He was annoyed, and did not bother hiding it.

"Arturia, that brat is the child of my former Master. Tokiomi was a very boring mongrel, and there is little chance of his offspring being better. I don't see your interest in her, either."

Arturia did her best to suppress an exasperated sigh.

"I disagree, Gilgamesh. She is a strange girl… and I believe you might find her interesting. Do not judge a child from the actions of the parents."

There was a short pause.

"I have told her that I will see her again – so when she will come to visit, I would like you… to be present as well. You will be able to form your own opinion on her in such a manner."

Another silence followed. He seemed to sigh.

"Very well, King of Knights. I doubt that meeting the girl can compete in boredom with Kirei's activities, so it might as well be an acceptable distraction."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

A few days later, Arturia went to the shopping mall again, to buy some specific ingredients to cook a special meal that evening, because she wished to surprise Illya every once in a while.

As she was leaving the place after paying for her purchase, she met Rin again.

The black-haired girl seemed to be more cautious and less aggressive than the previous time. She greeted Arturia, and that pleased the woman, because it was proof that she could be polite.

"Ma'am, I didn't properly thank you for buying me the coat… and for your advice on both the colour of the coat and Kirei." She took a deep breath. "Thank you very much for your kindness."

Arturia gave her a small nod. It was nice of her to be thanking her. The girl looked at her with curiosity and a small amount of suspicion.

"Who are you, ma'am? How do you know so much about me?"

Arturia considered the girl in front of her. She was not to blame for her father's sins… she was a young girl under the tutelage of a monster. No one deserved such a thing. Perhaps… perhaps she would be able to help her.

With a slight tilt of her head, Arturia indicated a teashop next to where they were standing.

"Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea as we talk, Rin?"

Arturia did not want to treat her as a child, because she avoided treating Illya as such, and she knew that, aside from helping her be more mature, it also made her happy.

The woman and the girl went to sit down inside the teashop, and they were quickly brought their orders. As she sipped on her tea, Arturia reflected on what exactly tell the girl. She seemed to be a clever child; her behaviour that day proved that there was potential in her, and she had not been ruined by her upbringing… yet.

From what the King of Knights knew about Tokiomi and Kirei, it was highly likely that the girl was knowledgeable about the Grail War… perhaps she was even being educated to be a participant in the future. Arturia felt disgust at the thought; but she knew that Jubstacheit von Einzbern was not the only one who considered people to be his pawns.

She began to speak, slowly and calmly.

"My name is Arturia. I am afraid I do not know much about you, Rin. I know about Kirei… and your father."

She could see that the girl was evaluating her words, and she continued, "I know that you are a Magus."

At those words, the girl's eyes narrowed and Arturia felt her begin to use her powers to focus on her, to analyse her.

And Rin's eyes widened in shock and a slight amount of fear when she realized the enormous amount of magical force there was in the woman.

Arturia sipped on her tea, completely calm. It was obvious that the girl was a powerful Magus, or at least, she had the potential to be one.

Seeing her very wary, however, made her decide to reassure her.

"I mean you no harm, Rin. I would just like to get to know you… and perhaps help you, if you will allow it."

The girl seemed to be very indecisive, even if she did her best to hide it behind an emotionless mask. Arturia went on.

"You are in the same school as Emiya Shirou, I presume."

Rin's eyebrows shot up. What was that? What did that have to do with their talk?

The King of Knights stood up, gestured for the bill and paid it. Then she looked at the girl again.

"If you want, tomorrow you can accompany him home, and we will be able to meet again, and talk some more… a public place like this is not always secure. Shirou is unaware of everything we just discussed and doesn't know about magic… but he knows me, and tomorrow I will be there."

Rin seemed to be confused, but stood up as well, realizing that the conversation was over. Before leaving, Arturia addressed her once more.

"Please remember, Rin… don't trust Kirei."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following day, after Illya had come back from school, Arturia waited with her for Gilgamesh's arrival. She had told him over the phone that she was going to meet Tokiomi's daughter, and he had agreed to come with them.

Arturia had asked Taiga if it was all right to invite someone else over to their place a few days before, and Taiga had been completely accepting of it. The King of Knights had not clarified that she had chosen the Emiya residence because of its strong protective bound field.

When Illya, Arturia and Gilgamesh came in, they found Shirou sitting next to a black-haired girl. Arturia politely greeted them both before making the necessary introductions.

As it happened, that day there was a problem with the kitchen pipes, and a plumber came to fix it. Since Taiga wasn't there, Shirou needed to make sure everything was done properly, and excused himself from the guests, apologizing for the inconvenience and leaving plenty of tea and biscuits on the small table.

Gilgamesh lay down on one of the futons, bored, sipping on his favourite red wine. Arturia calmly and elegantly sat on her knees, while Illya studied Rin curiously.

The black-haired girl, after the discovery of the previous day, had decided to never let her guard down and used her senses to 'scan' the young girl in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at her.

"You are a Magus as well."

Illya did not seem fazed; in fact, she only smiled.

"No, I'm not a Magus. I am just studying Magecraft. _You_ are studying to become a Magus, aren't you?"

Looking into the dark red eyes of Illya, Rin realized that, even if the girl looked very young and nice, she had probably more expertise than her, because she had not been taken by surprise by her magical abilities.

Contrary to her, the smaller girl had probably had her senses sharp and vigil all the time… Rin mentally reprimanded herself for her carelessness.

Arturia stood up.

"I will go make sure that Shirou does not walk in on this kind of conversation. Illya, I think you and Rin should talk about the Holy Grail War."

The King of Knights, after exchanging a glance with Gilgamesh to stop him from making any comments on Shirou, left the room, placing herself between the corridor and the entrance, so she could monitor the boy's arrival.

Illya looked at the black-haired girl with a good-natured smile on her face.

"So you are the girl Arturia talked about." Her expression turned a bit sadder. "You have lost people you loved during that war as well." She looked even more melancholic. "I'm sorry about your parents."

Rin stared at her in both surprise and a little annoyance. It was none of the girl's business, but she could show her some politeness nonetheless.

"Thank you. I assume you have lost people as well."

Illya nodded sadly.

"I've lost my parents, too."

Rin's eyes narrowed. That meant that the white-haired girl was the daughter of other contestants of the war… therefore, her father's enemies.

Before she could address that, however, Illya continued, "Only we know how much was truly lost during that war."

Tokiomi's daughter was confused. What exactly was the other girl talking about?

It was a _war_ ; of course there were going to be losses and deaths and other brutal events. Why did she not see that? Why did she just make a sad expression and not try to do something about it?

Rin gave a very unladylike snort. _She_ knew what to do.

Pushing her hair back, she proudly declared, "I will win the Grail War one day."

Three seconds of absolute silence followed, before Illya stared at her with such an expression of disbelief and revulsion that Rin felt as if she had been slapped.

Gilgamesh, behind them, hid a smirk.

The white-haired girl stood up. She was small and fragile looking, but her dark red eyes were ablaze with fury. Rin felt intimidated, even if she refused to show it.

Every word that came out of Illya's mouth was laced in anger.

"I hope you are thinking about what you just said. You have lost your father to a meaningless war where people killed each other in pure brutality and treachery. And you are saying you want to participate in the same blood-shed yourself?"

She gave her a short and formal bow.

"Please excuse me."

And Illya stormed out of the room, leaving Rin quite taken aback at her harshness. But before she could properly take into consideration what had just happened, she heard a low chuckle.

She looked up to see the man named Gilgamesh sitting up with his glass of wine in hand.

"What an interesting scene," he said with a smirk.

His red eyes seemed to weigh her, but only in a bored manner, and he unexpectedly asked her a question.

"So, what is the wish you want to express over the Grail, assuming that you manage to win?"

Rin huffed, looking away.

"I don't have anything to ask to that cup. I just want to win… and restore the Tohsaka family's prestige."

To that, she was dismayed to hear him laugh.

He seemed to be deeply amused by her words. She was going to say something rude to him, but his expression stopped her.

He looked at her intently, finally focusing on her completely.

"So you are not even doing this for yourself… your wish, girl, is suicidal. You are just being the blind puppet your selfish father taught you to be. You have never even questioned anything he said and did, have you?"

His next words cut her deeply.

"And family prestige… Don't make me laugh. Do you honestly believe that anyone cared about Tokiomi's death? And do you think that anyone will care, should you manage to win?"

He swirled the glass in his hand.

"So young… and so foolish."

Rin felt her anger rise.

Who was that man? How dare he insult her like that? What right did he have to talk so low of what she had to do?

Driven by her temper, she stood up. Her voice rose.

"How dare you! How could you possibly understand… I have lost _everything_ to get to this point!"

Only lifting an eyebrow at her, uncaring of her anger, he took another sip of wine.

"Yes, you have lost everything… and you seek to obtain _the very same thing_ that cost you everything. Illya was right… You are offering yourself on a silver platter to that same war that is the reason your family was torn apart." He scoffed. "Arturia had told me that you were smart… it sure does not appear to be the case."

Rin was numb in shock. She could not think, and she could certainly not speak.

Without a word, she turned around and went to the sliding doors of the room, pushing them open to walk out. She reached the entrance, where she put on her shoes.

Before she could leave, however, Arturia appeared behind her. Rin didn't turn around to look at her.

"Rin."

The tone of her voice made it clear that she was aware of what had happened.

"I am sorry. I did not mean for things to escalate to this point."

The black-haired girl did not say a word and did not move. She suddenly felt a warm, comforting hand touching her arm lightly.

Arturia continued, "You _are_ a smart girl. Please think about what happened today, and make your decisions."

She seemed to hesitate for a second.

"I will come and visit you at the Tohsaka residence in a few weeks. If you will not want to see me, you can simply avoid opening the door, and I will leave you alone."

Rin turned her head in her direction slightly.

She could see the woman's truthful and honourable expression, and managed to give her a short nod.

Understanding her need to be alone, Arturia released her arm and took a step back, watching as she closed the door behind herself to leave.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

There was silence as Arturia went back to the room in which Gilgamesh was. He had lain back down on the tatami mats, sipping on his wine seemingly without a care in the world.

She sat in front of him, in silence. He opened his Gate of Babylon and surprised her by making a steaming teacup appear in front of her. She raised an eyebrow. He knew that she preferred tea to wine, and had been considerate enough to give her exactly that.

She took the cup and slowly sipped on it, finding the taste to be exquisite. She tilted her lips upwards a little in silent thanks, knowing that he would take notice of it.

When the silence between them stretched, he suddenly broke it.

"You are not saying anything, Arturia. I had expected you to express your thoughts on what just happened, and perhaps even try to berate me. I know you heard every word."

He would not admit to her that he had actually found it entertaining to meet the black-haired girl.

Even if she was foolish, she _was_ different from her father Tokiomi. She was certainly much less boring, but whether she was clever or not, he couldn't determine it yet.

Arturia seemed to be thoughtful.

She slowly said, "It's true that you could have been less harsh towards Rin Tohsaka. She has already been through a lot in her life, and that justifies her way of thinking… to an extent."

There was a second of pause.

"However, you didn't say anything that was untrue. You pointed out the limits of her beliefs with accuracy."

Before he could comment on her unexpected agreeing with him, she stood up.

"I will see if the plumber has finished, and make sure Illya isn't too upset."

Cup in hand, she left the room.

The matter with the kitchen pipes was perfectly fixed, and Arturia only vaguely told Shirou that Rin had already left. Then the King of Knights went to look for Illya, finding her in the garden, and sat down by her side, gently beginning to reason with her.

She explained that Tokiomi and Kirei, who were quite similar to her Grandfather Jubstacheit in their behaviour towards the girl, had raised Rin. Rin had grown up with the idea of the war as inevitable in her head; therefore, she had not been able to see any other points of view.

Illya understood… in fact, she even felt bad for lashing out at her.

She herself had had Arturia to guide her down the right path, while Rin had not had anyone. The white-haired girl expressed the desire to meet her again… and perhaps become her friend.

Arturia explained that they first needed to give her space and leave her the choice of what she wanted to do.

Rin Tohsaka would have to think deeply about her life… and decide what she wanted to do with it.

...

...

 **A/N** :

Okay, before jumping at my throat for being so cruel towards Rin, please let me say that I think of her as a smart person, but I always thought her motivations for participating in the Fifth War to be utterly ridiculous, and the mess that was her life did not excuse that. She's a competitive person, that's for sure, but to participate in the same war that killed her father just to 'prove herself'? I want her to be different than that, because even if she has a great potential as a Magus, I don't wish for her to waste her time around the Grail War. I also believe that Gilgamesh is the right person to point all that out to her. I hope this explains my thoughts a little, even though it's just my opinion ;)

Thank you very, very much for reading!


	19. New friendship

…

...

One afternoon, Arturia was out for grocery shopping, when her phone suddenly rang. Looking at the screen, she recognized Gilgamesh's number.

She frowned. He had never been the one to call her before. Had something happened?

She answered immediately.

"King of Heroes, what is the matter?"

Her voice was slightly worried, but his was quite normal.

"Hello, Arturia. I was bored."

She raised an eyebrow as she collected the last items she needed to buy, holding her phone between her shoulder and her ear – and managing to be graceful nonetheless, as only a king was able to do.

They talked for a little while, as she paid and then left the shop. Even if they had a conversation on the phone every evening, the last time they had seen each other had been at the Emiya residence… with Rin.

Arturia enquired about the priest, and Gilgamesh, annoyed, told her that he was for once tending to his preaching duties, and everything he said was so boring that the King of Heroes had not been able to stand another minute in the same room as him.

While she listened, Arturia walked towards her apartment, and a soft wind blew around her. She suddenly had to stop for a moment, because a slightly stronger blow pushed her dress towards a bush of roses, and the fabric became entangled with the thorns.

And of course, he noticed her stopping and asked her the reason for it. She explained the situation while freeing her clothes and continuing towards the apartment.

His following words made her stop as she was unlocking the entrance door.

"Is it the blue summer dress with the white straps?"

She was surprised. She had no idea he had ever noticed what clothes she wore. "It is."

Entering the house, she went to the kitchen to begin to put the groceries away.

"You astonish me, King of Heroes."

She heard him make a sound that seemed suspiciously like a wishful sigh.

"I remember that dress. It compliments your figure very nicely."

Her tone was flat.

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

On the other side, his reply was prompt.

"Oh? So what will?"

Arturia's hands gave out and she dropped what she was holding.

"Gilgamesh…!" she hissed.

She could _feel_ his smug smirk across the phone line.

Leaning down to pick up the fallen item, she growled into the mobile.

"Gilgamesh. Would it hurt you to be serious for the time of a phone call?"

"I _am_ being serious, Arturia."

The tone with which he said that made her hand stop in mid-air, with the object she had picked up still in her hold. She didn't even realize she had stopped in her tracks after letting out an unwanted sharp gasp.

She paused. She _did not want_ to have to think about him being serious.

She could not.

The possibility of him truly wanting more from her… no. She would not go there.

She breathed in slowly, steeling herself, and then casually changed the subject.

"Have you seen or heard anything from Rin during the last few days?"

He answered in the negative, and then seemed to respect her desire to change the subject, because he did not bring it up again. He enquired about "the girl", as he sometimes still called Illya, and hearing him actually ask about her made Arturia happy.

She talked about her ward, describing some of the enchantments they were learning and the latest books they had read together that day. Since Illya was fourteen, they were beginning to go through material that was more difficult.

The conversation flew naturally between them for a while, until Arturia heard the door open and close, and someone calling her name.

Illya had just come back from afternoon school; therefore, since Gilgamesh had heard the girl's voice as well, it meant it was time to end the phone call.

Before hanging up, Arturia paused her movements.

Thinking back on what he had asked her earlier, she began, "Gilgamesh…"

Against her wishes, her voice faltered… she could not find the right thing to say.

From the silence on the other side, she understood that his thoughts were on their brief exchange from before, too.

She closed her eyes… and decided it was time to allow herself to be completely truthful in what she said.

She smiled. It was right to let him know… just a little of what was on her mind.

After all, had he not earned the right of at least _that_ much from her?

"Call more often."

There was something that startlingly sounded like an intake of breath on the other side of the line… probably the closest thing to a surprised reaction she would ever hear coming from him.

She knew that he had been able to understand that she had been smiling softly while saying those words.

He chuckled lightly, but without his usual arrogance.

"I most certainly will, King of Knights."

She smiled again and was about to hang up, when he added, "But…"

She waited, mildly surprised, wondering what else he wanted to say.

"I expect you to do the same."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

When a few weeks had passed since the dramatic confrontation with Rin, Arturia mentioned to Gilgamesh – over the phone as usual – that she intended to go visit her, to see how she was and ask if she had made her decision about what they had told her.

To her surprise, Gilgamesh was adamant about coming with her.

She objected, at first bringing up Kirei, worried he might get suspicious, and then reminding him that he, the King of Heroes, had been the one to demean Rin the most; therefore, perhaps it was best if she did not see him.

He instead pointed out that it was best if she _did_ see him. She did not seem to be like her father, but he wanted to observe how she reacted if he were to appear again. It was bound to be interesting and, furthermore, a good test for the girl's character.

After listening to his reasons, Arturia was silent for a few seconds, before agreeing with him.

Gilgamesh was… pleased.

It seemed that he and the King of Knights were starting to agree on more and more things.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Gilgamesh dematerialized from the Church in front of Arturia's apartment, where he took her hand to disappear with her again and rematerialize next to a very large villa.

They rang the bell of the Tohsaka mansion. It was huge and dark, and very quiet. From outside, it appeared to be a haunted, uninhabited house. The two kings stood outside the gate and waited.

Soundlessly, the door opened and Rin came out. She stopped for a second when she saw who her visitors were, but then went towards them nonetheless. She opened the gates, inviting them in.

They found themselves seated in the large living room. Rin offered tea rather stiffly, but only Arturia accepted.

For a while, there was silence between the three of them, but it was an uneasy one only for the young girl.

Arturia spoke.

"How have you been, Rin?"

The girl seemed to know that the question was genuine, and answered cautiously.

"I… have been thinking during the last weeks. A lot."

The two kings waited, not putting any pressure over her, and she slowly continued, "The girl… Illya… was right. I… did not think about what I was saying. Wishing to take part in a war… it's one of the stupidest things I ever said and thought."

She hung her head and slumped her shoulders slightly.

"Even though I pride myself on my intellect, I did not use my brain."

Then she held up her head in determination.

"My father… was not right in educating me only for the war. And Kirei… I don't understand his intentions, but I agree with what you told me," she gave a grateful nod in Arturia's direction, "he can't be trusted. At all."

The King of Knights smiled at her a little.

"I am glad that you can see where his true nature is leaning towards."

Rin nodded again, and then seemed to hesitate for a second; however, she steeled herself and looked up at Gilgamesh's face. She was obviously nervous and was having difficulties in finding the right words.

She took a deep breath.

"You were very blunt in what you said to me last time. But you were also correct."

Another deep breath and she fought to keep her eyes on him.

"So… thank you. For making me open my eyes to reality, no matter how unpleasant that was."

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. There was nervousness and embarrassment in her expression… but also respect. She obviously did not like to admit it… but she was smart enough to be able to accept to see the truth.

That was… good. And a bit surprising.

She was _definitely_ not like her father… and it appeared that Kirei had not managed to ruin her or make her completely uninteresting.

To be able to overcome strong prejudices instilled in her since she had been a child… required intelligence. She really seemed to be smart, as Arturia had said…

The King of Heroes, however, did not speak and simply tilted his head slightly, acknowledging her words.

The girl smiled a little, looking down at her untouched tea and, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders, finally took a sip. There was a short silence, but this time it was a lighter one, no longer uncomfortable.

Arturia then said, "Rin. Will you come and visit us soon? Illya would like to see you again."

Rin's eyes widened slightly and she frowned.

"But… I have offended her! Even if it wasn't meant as such, still… I was disrespectful and–.."

Gilgamesh seemed bored as he spoke up, making her interrupt herself abruptly.

"The girl has been raised by Arturia. Did you honestly think she would be mean-spirited? Of course she has a good heart."

At the explanation, Rin felt deep gratitude and also some respect for the white-haired girl.

But she could not deny that she felt curiosity about the man's words. He seemed to hold Arturia in high regard.

The girl had by then realized how much insightfulness and wisdom there was in the blond man… and the fact that he openly esteemed Arturia was very interesting. She was without a doubt a very strong and remarkable woman, and even if it was not as apparent, she did not respect him any less than he respected her. The dynamic between them was unquestionably intriguing… but it wasn't the time to focus on that.

Arturia began to speak again.

"In a few days, school will be closed for summer break. Would you like to come spend an afternoon at the park with us?"

Rin smiled a little and met the calming green eyes of the woman sitting in front of her.

It seemed that her life was about to take a turn… and, with all probability, the turn was for the best.

She nodded.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The afternoon they had agreed on came, and Illya could hardly contain her excitement at the idea of spending time with another girl about her age.

Shirou would not be coming, because he was at school with Taiga, who was apparently tutoring a student one year younger named Sakura, and he was helping with the cleaning of the classrooms in her place. Arturia had discreetly made sure he was not present, since Gilgamesh was with them, and she did not wish to spend the whole time with the King of Heroes burning holes into the boy with his glare. Besides, the afternoon was for Illya and Rin.

When they met, Rin tried to apologize for her past words, but Illya just smiled warmly, taking her by surprise. And shortly after, the white-haired girl was dragging the Tohsaka heir around, jumping happily and laughing freely while exploring the park.

At first, Rin tried to resist and compose herself, appalled by such a carefree attitude. But soon, Illya's enthusiasm being very contagious, Rin found herself first smiling and then laughing together with her, delighting in the sunny weather and the natural beauties of the park.

Arturia, sitting on a bench and with Gilgamesh next to her, observed the two girls enjoying themselves, and could see that friendship had already started to bloom between them.

The two girls had eaten their lunch from bento boxes before going to play, while the two kings had still not had anything. There was a little box with a few strawberries left, and Arturia offered them to the King of Heroes, who simply shook his head. She rolled her eyes and ate them on her own, only stopping for a second to tell him how 'absolutely delicious' they were.

When she was finished, she was about to stand up to throw the empty box away, when a hand on her arm suddenly stopped her.

His other hand came up to her face, and one of his fingers softly landed on her lips. Quite unsettled, she was about to say something, when his finger moved slightly.

He began to trace her lips slowly, sensually, and he took a small piece of strawberry that had remained there. His finger, with the strawberry on it, left her lips and went to his own mouth, disappearing inside. He licked it clean, with a very satisfied expression on his face.

"Delicious, indeed."

Arturia could not stop a light blush from appearing on her cheeks. _The nerve of that man…_

Her eyes narrowed and her irritation rose. Luckily for both of them, however, the girls came running towards them in that same moment.

Illya slid on the bench next to Arturia, laughing, and pulled Rin to be seated at her side. The white-haired girl chatted excitedly about the games they had played in the park, but Arturia noticed that Rin seemed to compose herself and then feel embarrassed.

The woman frowned, understanding why she was behaving in such a manner.

A few seconds later, Illya offered to throw away the empty boxes and, as soon as she was a little distance away, Arturia leaned towards the Tohsaka heir slightly.

"Rin."

The black-haired girl looked up at her, startled.

"There is no reason for you to feel shame if you enjoyed yourself. You have been robbed of your childhood too early… you have the right to be carefree and relaxed. Don't grow up too soon."

The look on the King of Knights's face was ancient, and Gilgamesh was probably the only one who could understand it – she knew he had noticed it, too.

Rin, however, was taken aback by her perceptiveness. She started to object, but Arturia gently put a hand on her arm, making her fall silent again.

"Just think about it, please."

Rin recognized her words from before, when she had made her reconsider her whole life, and mutely nodded.

Gilgamesh observed the scene, in complete silence.

As soon as she came back, Illya grabbed the black-haired girl's hand and pulled her towards the middle of the park with ease, Rin no longer trying to resist.

Yes, Arturia thought, friendship between the two would definitely grow.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

In the following weeks, Rin's way of thinking slowly underwent a change. From the slightly aggressive, cynical and narrow-minded out-of-the-world girl she had been raised to be, she grew. She learned to think, to consider the consequences of her actions, to use her intelligence more widely and productively, and to see people for who they really were.

Spending time with Illya helped Rin realize that she had the right to be more relaxed in what she did. The Einzbern girl explained how she studied with Arturia, seriously but without ever exaggerating. Rigour was not the only way to learn, Rin recognized. The two girls started to share their magic knowledge, studying and learning together as trust slowly began to form between them.

They also talked about the war. Illya was completely earnest with Rin, explaining how her mother had died during the war and how her father had been forbidden from ever coming back to see her after failing to obtain the Grail.

Rin was deeply shocked by that, and in turn, slowly began to open up about her past as well, even if she was still very reserved about her family.

Being often with Illya meant that Rin also got to know Shirou. Even if the two girls could not have heart to heart conversations in front of him because he didn't know anything about the war or Magecraft, the boy was still someone Illya considered to be her brother. The three got along well together.

Even if Rin was under the guardianship of Kirei, she lived alone and the priest only sometimes went to check on her. Once, when busy with an exorcism, he had asked the King of Heroes to quickly go take a look for him at the mansion… to which Gilgamesh, after Arturia persuaded him, agreed – and deeply despised the mongrel when he did not question his compliance.

After that, he began to go to the girl's place more frequently, mostly out of boredom.

Arturia sometimes went to the Tohsaka mansion to see the girl as well, but it was a much rarer occurrence, because they saw each other at the Emiya residence when she and Illya met.

Arturia had decided it was right to let Rin know a few details… mainly to keep her safe from Kirei, because the Tohsaka heir knew some things about the Grail war, but not the important matters; she had only been taught that she needed to win it.

The King of Knights explained to the girl her and Gilgamesh's identities as Heroic Spirits who had fought in the war, and that seemed to be a source of fascination for Rin. The black-haired girl said that that explained the fact that they seemed wise and knowledgeable beyond their apparent young age.

Quite relieved that she had taken the piece of news calmly and without too many questions, Arturia warned her – even though she admitted that she had no proof – that the priest probably intended to use her as his pawn in the future.

Rin understood perfectly, knowing it was highly probable that she was right, and thanked the woman for her advice, promising to be more cautious in her dealings with Kirei.

...

...

 **A/N** : I like a good-hearted Rin. I believe her to be capable of both recognizing the mistakes in her upbringing (if faced with them) and overcoming them.

This story is on AO3 and Inkitt as well - same pen name, same title. I don't always update here first, so please go there for more recent chapters ;)

Thanks for reading… and Merry Christmas!


	20. Confrontation

**A/N** : I can't have other characters steal the show constantly… so this chapter is all about Arturia and Gilgamesh. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

…

...

After the afternoon at the park – and the brief contact his finger made with her lips –, Gilgamesh and Arturia had gone back to communicating through phone calls once again.

It was still the safest method, because the King of Heroes had to live with Kirei to 'discreetly keep his activities monitored', as Arturia formally explained, or 'become more bored than what was decorously possible', as Gilgamesh bluntly remarked.

One late afternoon, Arturia was alone at the apartment, doing some household chores by herself. Illya was at the Tohsaka mansion with Shirou and Rin, the three of them doing homework and later playing together. Even if the white-haired girl did not attend the same school or the same year as the other two, the classes she followed had a similar program, even if slightly more advanced. And it was enjoyable to spend a few hours together, even if just to do schoolwork.

As soon as she was finished with the cleaning and had showered, she received a phone call from Gilgamesh. Their exchanges had become more frequent and more relaxed, to the point that Arturia even looked forward to them most of the time.

That day, he seemed to be bolder than usual.

His voice was almost teasing when he said, "What news are there today, my treasure?"

Arturia narrowed her eyes at both his tone and his words.

"Gilgamesh, I am nobody's treasure. I am not a possession in the first place."

He, however, seemed to enjoy teasing her, and did not stop with that kind of comments. Not willing to put up with that, Arturia felt her irritation rising.

"Gilgamesh." Her tone became more threatening. "If you continue to call me with names of your choice, know that I will begin to do the same."

There was silence on the other side of the line.

Then he said, his voice slightly strained, "You will _not_."

Arturia allowed herself a small smirk. She had him.

"Oh, I will. You enjoy teasing me, knowing that _I_ can't do anything to you over the phone… but it is a double-edged sword, because _you_ can't do anything to me either."

Again there was silence on the other side of the phone call. Both kings knew that she had just been able to outsmart him at his own game. That was a very, very rare occurrence to happen… but it just _had_ happened. Arturia was too noble to relish in the victory over him, and simply waited for his next words.

His reply, however, was to abruptly end the call.

She frowned, confused.

That was quite unlike him… what had he just…?

And the next second, she realized she had forgotten a detail about the King of Heroes.

A _very_ important detail.

He was able to dematerialize. And he appeared behind her, in the kitchen, making her lose her balance because of the sudden proximity.

She should have guessed an unpredictable move coming from the King of Heroes…

Her first thought was that she hoped Kirei had not been present to notice his abrupt leaving – the second thought was, in what a compromising position the two of them found themselves.

With her dipped down and with him holding her up around the waist, both kings proved their great equilibrium.

Arturia suddenly realized how close they were. She could see every shade of his blood red eyes, and every single feature in his face. She was in the arms of the King of Heroes, tightly held against his body.

What on earth was she doing? What on earth was she _thinking_?

Her eyes became troubled, and she avoided his gaze – with some difficulty, due to the closeness.

"Please let go of me."

Her tone was not cold or rude, just hollow, lacking any emotions.

Without a word, he respected her wish and put her back on her feet securely. Arturia did not look at him as she swiftly regained her balance and turned away.

"I think… You should probably leave."

She heard him move and felt relieved. For once, he was going to do what she asked without complai–

Suddenly she was enveloped in a warm and possessive embrace from behind. An arm was around her waist and another was around her shoulders. Had she not been the former King of Britain, a surprised yelp would have escaped her lips.

She felt Gilgamesh's mouth next to her cheek, and in instinct, Arturia's hands flew up to hold the arm around her shoulders. Before she could do anything, however, his lips were on her ear, caressing it softly.

Against her wishes, Arturia shivered slightly… and she felt his arms tightening around her in response to that reaction.

She could feel his whole body pressed even closer than before, and she was… at a loss.

What should she do? Push him away was, without a doubt, the best course of action.

But before she could act, he spoke. His voice was low and made her shiver again because of the proximity.

"Stop closing yourself to the rest of the world, Arturia. Stop denying yourself, and stop suppressing your personal wishes."

His voice became more forceful.

"Stop trying to carry every burden."

His hold on her tightened even more.

"You have proven, time and time again, how strong you are and how firmly you can stand tall under the weight of all your burdens, how magnificently you can stand alone and proud in your might… but continuing to push people away from you is not what will help you. You can and must allow people to see _you_."

The hand of the arm around her shoulders went up to her cheek, caressing it slowly.

"You know that _I_ can understand you and see you more clearly than anyone else… No matter how hard you tried to cover up your soul, I still managed to see it, in all its beauty… You _know_ that there is no one else in this world who can understand you better than I do."

His breath quivered against her ear.

"Stop shutting yourself away from me, Arturia."

He came even closer, if possible.

" _Let me in_."

Arturia closed her eyes, in hope of thinking more clearly… but it was no use. Without the sense of sight, she only became more conscious of his touch – and therefore his closeness.

She opened her eyes again and turned her head slightly, forcing his lips to leave her ear and his eyes to meet her green gaze. She was acutely aware of how close their faces were, because mere centimetres separated their eyes… and their lips.

She saw that he was examining her face, too, and it seemed to her that he lingered on her mouth a few moments longer than was necessary, before his eyes were back on hers, looking at her intently.

She did her best to appear calm when she spoke.

"If you understand me as well as you claim to… then you will know what my answer to such a request is going to be."

His nose on her cheek, he made her turn her head so that his lips were back on her ear, to trace it slowly. He knew her answer, indeed.

Hot breath tickled her skin.

"And why, Arturia? Why not let me in? _Why_ do you keep guarding yourself as if we were still at war? As if I was your _enemy_?"

His next words were harsh.

" _What are you afraid of?_ "

That was too much. Arturia's hands, which were still on his arm, abruptly left it and went stiffly back to her sides.

"Leave."

Her voice was void of any emotion, and he knew he had gone too far.

He released her, missing the contact the second he let go of her body.

But she did not turn to look at him, and he knew she wouldn't.

So, without adding another word, he dematerialized back to the Church.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After that confrontation – he refused to call it an argument –, she had not called him in the evening. It had been the first time since they had come to Japan that such a thing had happened.

Even if it had taken him all his self-control, he had decided not to call her, either. That was because, in spite of the fact that he had been calling her too during the past weeks, _she_ had always been the one to call in the evenings.

Furthermore, there was the tiny but definite possibility that she would refuse to answer him… and he would not be able to tolerate it.

So an evening went by with complete silence between the two kings.

But the next evening she didn't call… again.

That was too much. He had to do something about that situation. But he was not going to use the device for that.

The following day, after making sure that that mongrel of a priest was busy – it would not do if he was interrupted on _that_ day, when his mood was already bad –, he dematerialized from the Church and appeared in front of the apartment where Arturia lived. He knew she was inside. Firmly ignoring the fact that he was feeling a tiny bit of apprehension, he rang the bell and waited.

The door opened. Red eyes met green ones, both with wary and guarded expressions.

"Gilgamesh."

Her tone betrayed how on edge she was, and he felt a strange displeasure at that.

"Arturia."

His reply was equally short.

They continued to stare at each other, without saying anything else.

All of a sudden, a boy's voice called from inside, "I finished it! Is this result correct?"

The King of Knights broke their gaze and turned away from him.

"I will be right there, Shirou."

She left the door open, an unspoken invitation for him to come in.

Gilgamesh, however, barely noticed that. A blind rage came over him as soon as he heard the boy speak.

That mongrel was in the house? In _Arturia's_ house?

The King of Heroes still had enough sense to close the door behind himself, and then immediately followed the woman to the living room. The scene he was met with was enough to make him growl darkly.

Illya and Shirou, sitting at the table, looked up. And while the girl smiled happily and enthusiastically waved a hand at him, the boy went pale. The deadly aura was impossible to miss, and even Arturia seemed alarmed.

Illya, however, proving how much she truly had learned from Arturia as her ward, could make a very accurate guess about the reason for Gilgamesh's homicidal mood, and stood up.

She looked at her legal guardian, while closing the books she was going through and taking them up in her arms.

"Arturia, Shirou and I will go finish homework in the park. We'll be back later. Bye, Gilgamesh."

Her foster brother seemed to be incredibly relieved at her words and rapidly followed her out of the house, trying – in vain – to avoid the man's furious gaze.

As soon as the door closed behind the two children, Arturia brought her hand up to lightly touch Gilgamesh's arm. Even if the boy was gone, his eyes were still narrowed. She raised an eyebrow but managed to suppress a sigh.

"Gilgamesh," she said, in a calming voice, "Shirou and Illya were studying together, and I was helping them. He doesn't even look me in the eye anymore after the scare you gave him when we first met… there is no reason for you to be angry."

The King of Heroes still looked livid.

"I don't like the idea of that boy being here with you."

Seeing that his anger was not subsiding, she took a step towards him and put her hand on his chest. She hoped the gesture would be enough to make him regain his senses.

His eyes seemed to lose some of the fury in them, and he looked at her with more calmness.

He was still irritated, though, and it showed in his words.

"If that boy is going to be here again, and alone with you, I guarantee I will hurt him."

Exasperated, Arturia rolled her eyes… but she immediately sobered up.

She could feel his eyes on her, looking at her face, and she noticed how he lingered on her lips much longer than he had done in the past… and he was staring at them quite unabashedly.

She could _feel_ her skin burning when his eyes were on it… and she could not deny the slight nervousness that surrounded her.

But she shook it off. And she tilted her head. She was not going to be afraid anymore.

"Well, then, King of Heroes. How about this. The next time Illya and Shirou are going to come to study here, I will arrange to meet you at an outdoor place instead."

His eyes widened slightly at those words, but he recovered quickly from his surprise and gave her a nod.

"Perfect idea, King of Knights."

He would never tell her… but he was pleased, very pleased, because _she_ had been the one to suggest such a thing.

Shortly after that, he left to go back to the Church. It was indeed best to keep an eye on Kirei and make sure he did not become suspicious… Gilgamesh did not want to have his – future – time with Arturia shortened by anyone, least of all that mongrel.

That evening, Gilgamesh had a satisfied expression on his face when his phone rang and he saw Arturia's number. Everything was back to normal… even slightly better than before.

With a rare and not-arrogant smile, he pressed the button to answer.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

As they had agreed, when Shirou and Illya decided to study at the apartment a few days later, Arturia called Gilgamesh, suggesting meeting at a teashop she had noticed a few streets away. He seemed a bit annoyed at the mundanity of the place, but he did not protest and simply agreed.

They also decided it was best to limit the phone calls a little, because Kirei had unfortunately seen the King of Heroes with the mobile in hand more than once, and he was bound to get suspicious if it became too frequent of an occurrence.

At the appointed time, Arturia was standing in front of the teashop where they were supposed to meet, waiting.

An arm sneaked around her waist to pull her against someone's – _muscular_ – body and a hot breath tickled her ear. She immediately recognized Gilgamesh's form – and internally groaned at the thought.

When had she become comfortable enough around him to allow so much contact between them… and to the point that she even recognized him without the need to sense him!

And _why_ was she allowing him such personal closeness again? It was true that the King of Knights was much less wary of body contact than before, mainly because Illya was very affectionate, and, well, there had already been other occasions of proximity, too… but still, in public, and with such a casual and intimate embrace…

Her eyes narrowed.

"Release me if you care about your limbs, King of Heroes."

His arm tightened slightly before he relented. But he could not miss the opportunity of a little teasing.

"You didn't protest other times, Arturia… Don't be shy now."

Knowing that he aimed to get an indignant reaction out of her, Arturia willed herself to keep calm, and simply walked inside the teashop. He followed her, and they sat down in front of each other. She could not avoid noticing that he had his hair down – the way she preferred it.

She ordered rose tea, while he seemed to ponder over the idea of expressing his despise for the owners because of the lack of wine on the menu. But he eventually decided against it and ordered a variety of black tea – which turned out to be surprisingly decent enough for his tastes.

Quite a few of the customers looked curiously in their direction, because of the regal posture of the two kings, and the power that seemed to radiate from them. However, Arturia's reserved expression and Gilgamesh's one haughty look around the room scared people enough to make sure they stayed away.

The conversation between the former Heroic Spirits managed to be as relaxed as it was over the phone, and they talked about Illya, Kirei and then, very briefly, about the gems of mana, which Arturia was still filling almost every day. Then they ended up talking about the Tohsaka heir.

Gilgamesh had a few things to complain about when it came to her. The few times he had been in her company, at the Tohsaka mansion, after she had unexpectedly thanked him for his harsh words, she had been eager to talk to him without seeming to be in awe, only a bit intimidated.

Arturia was amused by that, and decided to explain a little.

"Gilgamesh, when you reprimanded her, you were not deliberately cruel or malicious… you simply pointed out truths that she didn't see. And Rin is smart enough to recognize that you were right."

She paused to see the effect her words were having.

"Furthermore, being clever, she has also realized that she can _learn_ from someone with your kind of wisdom."

He looked at her with a frown. Arturia shook her head slightly, with a hint of a smile appearing on her lips.

"I hope she doesn't learn your kind of haughtiness and arrogance as well, King of Heroes…"

He narrowed his eyes at her impertinence, but noticed the mirth in her green gaze.

She was… _teasing_ him?

He scoffed.

"I will not occupy my time by becoming the girl's caretaker, King of Knights."

Arturia kept her thoughts to herself.

It was obvious that Gilgamesh had made a deep impression on young Rin, by shedding light on many important lies that had surrounded her whole life. She, as a Tohsaka, had not been used to anyone pointing out her limits, aside maybe from her father.

Having someone – someone who had just met her – clearly show her the wrongness of her beliefs with such accuracy… well, Arturia mused, there was no wonder that Gilgamesh had practically become Rin's hero. He _definitely_ deserved it.

She almost wished to hit herself for the direction her thoughts had taken. She would not let it scare her… but she would not allow her mind to go there either. Not too often, at least.

While the King of Knights's attention was occupied in such a way, the King of Heroes was deep in thought as well.

While he had been a little annoyed at the girl's persistence at being around him, he knew that Arturia had been correct in her evaluation of her behaviour.

And he was very aware of the fact that he was not keeping Tokiomi's daughter at a distance, as he recognized he would be able to do… and he knew the reason behind that.

Gilgamesh had addressed both Kirei and Rin with his blunt words, and both had changed after listening to the simple and – in his opinion – obvious truths he was pointing out.

But there was a huge difference between the two.

Kirei had turned out worse, duller and quite boring; Rin had turned out… better.

With her mind no longer clouded, she appeared to be making use of her intelligence and had the possibility of not growing into a stupid person.

His red eyes observed the blonde woman in front of him. It was because of her that he had met and addressed the girl in the first place… otherwise he would never have considered even passing close to Tokiomi's daughter.

More than just a few events in his life were being influenced by Arturia's choices and decisions.

In fact, even the surname he had chosen, 'Utnapishtim'… It had an important meaning for him, since in his previous life Utnapishtim, the immortal man, had been the one to make him realize the inevitability of death.

But that was not the only reason he had chosen it. Its literal meaning was 'the one who found life', and Gilgamesh knew he had indeed found life… both physically in the real human body he had, and emotionally in the woman whose side he had rarely left during the former six years.

It was maddening, and perhaps almost mortifying, to realize how much his actions, even the most mundane ones, were based on _her_.

...


	21. Darkness of the past

…

...

As he had begun to do in the past weeks, Gilgamesh spent more and more time at the Tohsaka mansion, finding the couches better suited to his tastes and Tokiomi's daughter a less boring company than Kirei's.

Even when the girl was not there, the furnishing of the place, while not on the same level as the Einzberns', was far more adequate than the Church's simple and essential décor.

Since it was summer break, Rin was either at Illya's, Shirou's or home practising Magecraft. Even though Gilgamesh observed her progresses, he rarely intervened, except for pointing out a detail she might have missed.

The rest of the time, the King of Heroes remained sitting on a couch, sipping on his trademark glass of red wine, and when he left, it was to go to a café or a teashop with Arturia.

One day, he was just back from one such meeting – neither of them would _ever_ call them dates –, when he found all the lights off and the house strangely silent. He could however sense Rin's presence inside.

He raised an eyebrow.

As usual, he went to the large living room to lie down on one of the couches. There he found the black-haired girl sitting on the floor on her legs, with a very sad expression on her face.

His face did not betray his thoughts, but he had been quite convinced that she was at Emiya's.

Although, to be fair, Arturia had told him that Illya was going to spend the afternoon at her brother's… she had not mentioned Rin's presence.

But the reason why she was currently slumped on the carpet of the living room in such a miserable mood escaped him.

The girl looked up when she heard him approach. He sat down on a couch, and noticed the hollow expression of her eyes, quite uncharacteristic for her. When he did not say anything, she spoke up quietly.

"Today it has been one year since my mother died."

There was no emotion in her voice, except for a very deep but well-hidden grief.

Gilgamesh was well aware of the mental condition her mother had been in after the war, since he had been present when it had been inflicted upon her.

Rin, however, did not know that. She only knew that he had been a Servant during the Fourth Grail War, but since she had understood that it was best to stay away from anything connected to it, she had not enquired more… and she was unaware of the role either he or Arturia had had in the conflict.

The King of Heroes chose to stay silent.

Rin looked away from his eyes to stare into the empty fireplace, her expression not changing.

Suddenly, she started crying.

Not simple sobbing or whining, but true sorrowful tears began to stream down her face, and she buried her face in her hands.

The moments before her features were hidden, Gilgamesh saw such a mature anguish on her young face – similar to the one he had once seen on Arturia – that he was at a loss.

He knew that the girl was strong and dedicated, but there seemed to be moments like the current one in which she was very unhappy. He also knew he was partially responsible for her sadness… she obviously missed her parents, and the King of Heroes had been witness to both their demise, one physical and the other mental.

For the first time since he could remember, he was not sure what to do.

There was his former Master's daughter crying her eyes out on the floor in front of him, and he was simply looking at her. He had never been in such a situation…

Well, that was not true. There had been another similar matter… the white-haired one, Illya, had once been very sad about the same reasons – her parents –, starting to cry, too.

But back then Arturia had been present, and she had comforted the girl with gentleness, until she had fallen asleep.

Perhaps it would work for the Tohsaka heir, too.

Gilgamesh decided he could try to do the same.

With uncharacteristic cautiousness for him, and continually wondering at how difficult and unusual it felt, the King of Heroes leaned forward – and he put his hand on the girl's head.

At first, she did not react to his touch, but then her crying increased in volume and she allowed his hold to become a little firmer. She seemed to be less repressed in her distress, and let it all flow out, comforted by the hand touching her head.

Looking at her cry, Gilgamesh came to a startling realization – that such a simple motion was much, much harder than what he had thought.

He marvelled at Arturia.

She had done the exact same gesture, seemingly without effort, and with a very ancient look on her face. The fact that she knew how to do something like that did not displease him… it made him admire her.

He could now see how difficult it was – and yet she had done it easily.

Shortly after, Rin's crying became softer as her strength began to leave her, and she slowly fell asleep. Her eyelids, heavy from the tears, drifted close, and she let her head fall forward in slumber.

Before the King of Heroes could stop it from happening, the young girl was fast asleep with her head resting on his knees.

He narrowed his eyes at the sight. _That_ was not the outcome he had foreseen when he had decided to do something to comfort her.

He thought back on what Arturia had done when Illya had fallen asleep. She had taken the girl up in her arms and had brought her in her bedroom to allow her to rest comfortably.

Well, he was certainly _not_ going to do the same.

But since she had fallen asleep on his knees, to at least free himself without making her fall on the floor he supposed he could put her on the couch.

When the black-haired girl was on the sofa in his place, he left the room, closing the door behind himself, and took out his mobile phone.

Just then, it began to ring. It was Arturia. Quite surprisingly, since they had already met in person that day.

Smirking at her remarkable timing, he answered. When she asked him if he was busy, he gave her a startling reply.

"Not anymore. Until a few moments ago, I had a snotty brat asleep on my knees."

There were exactly three seconds of complete silence, before Arturia cleared her throat.

"Excuse me?"

He knew from her tone that she did not believe him. And his attitude darkened.

"You heard me."

Another brief silence followed. Then, her voice wary, she spoke again.

"Would you mind elaborating?"

He did not mind.

"It's been one year since the girl's mother died. She was in tears, and cried until she fell asleep on me."

Arturia, on the other side of the line, knew there was a little more to it than that.

She knew he would never have allowed such closeness in the first place… so something else had to have happened to make Rin be near enough for such a scene to take place. However, she knew that Gilgamesh would not tell her more… at least, not through the phone. She made a mental note to ask the Tohsaka heir when they would meet again.

Speaking of the Tohsaka family… that was the reason she had actually called him in the first place. It was perhaps the right moment to ask him about a matter that had always made it impossible for her to ever truly consider Gilgamesh trustable.

"Gilgamesh… I have been meaning to ask this for a while now."

He recognized the seriousness of her tone, and sat down on an armchair near the entrance of the house.

"What – exactly – was your involvement in Tokiomi's death?"

They had already talked about the man in the past, particularly in Germany, when they had found out about the real rules of the war, and she knew from experience that Tokiomi was not someone to be trusted. She also knew that Gilgamesh considered him quite the boring person.

The King of Heroes would have narrowed his eyes at her if she had been present.

He understood the reason for such a question, even if she had not told him explicitly. She was still wary of him, because she did not know what his exact relationship with his Master had been.

Well. If she wanted clarifications on that, he would give them to her.

"I believe I have made it abundantly clear that I did not have fondness for the first Master I had during the war," he began slowly. "He was a very conceited man, and acted in questionable manners in spite of being a powerful Magus. As his Servant, I can say that his behaviour and decisions when it came to me were boring, when not offensive, at _best_."

He paused for a second, knowing that Arturia was listening attentively.

"When I was informed by Kirei about the real rules of the war and saw that Tokiomi was only waiting for the right moment to order me to commit suicide, I stopped even considering him my Master. But I did not do anything… because I wanted to see if he was still worthy of any consideration from my part since he did, after all, summon me."

He shook his head slightly.

"However, Tokiomi only proved how much of a mongrel he was. He ended up gifting Kirei with the same weapon that the priest used to kill him."

There was a very soft intake of breath from Arturia's side.

"I was an observer to that scene… Had Tokiomi opened his eyes in time and realized Kirei's true nature, I would have deemed him worthy enough of respect to intervene. But until his end, he remained convinced that everything was as he wanted to see it. So, when I was without a Master, to be able to continue to exist in the world, I agreed to make a contract with Kirei."

He knew that Arturia would be able to understand his reasoning. His respect had to be earned; simply being his Master was not enough.

He continued, "Tokiomi was not an entirely stupid man, perhaps, but he was naïve, in the sense that he was unable to see the truth right in front of him… which, by the way, is what he taught his daughter as well. But at least the girl seems to have enough sense to be growing out of it."

There was a long silence after his speech.

Arturia thought about what he had told her, knowing he had not lied.

That information certainly made her feel very bad on young Rin's behalf… being under the tutelage of the man who had killed her father in cold-blood was absolutely terrible.

The other thing that made Arturia think was the fact that Gilgamesh was not exactly responsible for Tokiomi's death. As his Servant, he should have probably protected his Master, that was true; but Arturia knew that the King of Heroes was different from people like her or Lancer or even Rider, who had pledged their loyalty to their Masters more or less openly. He would not be loyal to his Master, be it Tokiomi or Kirei, because they had not _earned_ his loyalty or, at least, his respect.

Considering all the facts she knew, Arturia could see that Gilgamesh had not, as she had previously suspected, assisted Kirei in killing his Master. Even though he did not like Tokiomi, he had not taken part in his murder, instead observing the events unfold and therefore giving the man the possibility to still redeem himself in his opinion… something the Tohsaka head had not done.

The King of Knights's thoughts went back to his daughter. It was a relief that Rin was not going down the same path as her father… she had opened her eyes in time. And Gilgamesh had been the one to help her in that.

She knew that that made her appear more worthy than her father in his eyes.

She frowned. She had been told the girl's father destiny. But what about her mother? She had passed away a year before, as Gilgamesh had told her, but she suspected there was more to it. And it was probably the right moment to ask, considering that he seemed inclined to share details of the past.

"Thank you for telling me this, Gilgamesh. But I would like to know… why was Rin under Kirei's guardianship after the war? Her mother passed away a year ago, she should have been able to look after her daughter herself…"

She heard him give a slow sigh.

"It seems, Arturia, that you are unaware of many of the dark secrets of the Tohsaka family."

He made a glass of wine appear in the hand that was not holding the phone and took a sip before continuing.

"Tokiomi had two daughters."

Arturia's eyes narrowed in confusion. She had not known such a thing.

"However, according to his beliefs, even if both girls had apparently great magic potential, only one could be educated to become the family's future leader and receive a proper training in such a sense. Therefore, he allowed his younger daughter to be adopted by the Matou family."

The King of Knights closed her eyes. Irisviel had told her about the ruthlessness of that household… and she knew that Berserker's Master – Lancelot's Master – had been from there.

And Tokiomi had consciously sent his own _child_ to that place?

She heard Gilgamesh's voice again, bringing her out of her musings.

"I can feel your indignation from here, Arturia. But that is not all."

He took another sip from his wine.

"There was a man from the Matou family, Kariya… who apparently was a childhood friend of Tokiomi's wife. He was horrified at Tokiomi's actions and the brutality that was inflicted upon the young girl, who was being… prepared to compete in the Grail War. Kariya offered to take her place to save her… and became a Master, summoning your friend Berserker."

Arturia decided to ignore the allusion of those last words, and waited for him to continue.

"After Kirei killed Tokiomi, he arranged for Kariya to find his body at the same time his wife came to the place. Kariya lost control when she accused him of the homicide, and tried to strangle her. She survived but, because of that, she suffered mental damage, losing her reason."

Arturia was silent.

She was deeply disgusted at Tokiomi and Kirei for their actions during the war, and she felt even more disgust when she thought about the fact that they had been training Rin to do the same.

Luckily, the girl was no longer their unknowing pawn, even if she was still in danger of being used in the future… unless she and Gilgamesh managed to destroy the Grail.

It was sickening to think that the black-haired girl's guardian was the person who was responsible for her parents' deaths. Arturia was not sure if she would let Rin know the truth right away – the girl had already been through enough –, but she promised herself that she would free her from the priest's control.

Another thought struck her. Rin's younger sister… the one who had been adopted by the Matou family…

"Gilgamesh… what was the name of Tokiomi's younger daughter?"

He was slightly curious at her question.

"Sakura."

Could it be…

There was a girl named Sakura who Taiga had been tutoring some time before. She was one year younger than Shirou and Rin, if Arturia remembered correctly. If she was indeed Tokiomi's daughter… then there was perhaps the possibility to do something for the two separated sisters.

It was too early, however, to make such assumptions. She would have to meet the girl first.

Arturia then realized that Gilgamesh was still waiting for her to say something. She cleared her throat.

"Thank you, Gilgamesh, for telling me all of this. I… had no idea that the Tohsaka family had such a tragic history."

He seemed to take no notice of her thanks and to be concentrated on something else.

"I am looking forward to seeing what you will do now, Arturia. With all this information, I have no doubt that you will set out to do something for the two daughters of Tokiomi."

She almost smiled.

He could read her well… and for some reason, that did not bother her.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The King of Heroes had been right when he had predicted that Arturia would want to do something about the Tohsaka sisters. And in that occasion, fate decided to give her the opening she needed.

She brought Illya to the Emiya residence one afternoon, only to be greeted by Taiga and a purple-haired girl who were cooking together. Shirou was helping in the kitchen as well.

They welcomed them happily, and the unknown girl timidly introduced herself as Sakura Matou, and explained that she was one year younger than Shirou.

Hardly believing her luck, Arturia spent the afternoon with them, closely observing the shy girl.

She could feel her great magic potential and, from everything else she could get to know from her, she was fairly certain she was Rin's sister. She seemed to be a kind-hearted girl, even if her self-esteem was obviously quite low. She also seemed to have somehow a crush on Shirou.

That evening, while on the phone with Gilgamesh, Arturia mentioned that fact to him; and she was amused by his scoff. He said that the girl's traumatic past had obviously ruined her capability to see people clearly, because otherwise she would never have entertained the notion of fancying that mongrel boy. Arturia did not reprimand the King of Heroes for his words; she personally found Sakura's affection for Shirou to be quite cute.

During the following days, Arturia made sure to encourage Illya's friendship with the purple-haired girl. A few times, when her ward accompanied both her brother and Sakura to school the days she was free from her own classes, the King of Knights observed them from a distance.

She noticed a blue-haired boy of Shirou's age who seemed quite rude towards Sakura. After asking Illya, she discovered that he was the girl's older brother, Shinji Matou.

More than once, Arturia noticed him being quite tyrannical towards his sister, and she also perceived that he probably did much worse at home.

Sakura was always kind to everyone, but the King of Knights could see glimpses of the fact that she was most likely being abused terribly at the Matou's.

And observing that boy, Shinji, who was very obviously a bullying coward, mistreat her in public after all she had already been through, Arturia could hardly contain her anger.

However, there was nothing she could do at the moment, aside from welcoming Sakura with warm friendliness and supporting her relationship with Shirou, Illya and even Rin, when she came to the Emiya's.

Arturia could not speak to the girl directly, because she did not know how her situation at home was… talking to her about her past could put her in danger.

But she would not let the situation remain the way it was… about that, she was absolutely certain.

...

...

 **A/N** : if you are Gilber fans (but even if you aren't), the project "Fate/Apophenia" could be very interesting for you! Please go check it out ;) it's completely worth it!


	22. Noble Phantasms and heritages

…

...

One afternoon, Illya and Rin met at the Tohsaka mansion to practice Magecraft. Since it was becoming late and they still wished to spend some time just talking, the white-haired girl called her guardian and asked her if she could stay over for the night. Knowing that she did not have anything to wear as pyjama, Arturia offered to bring her some clothes. There was a short silence as Illya whispered something with Rin, and then her ward happily told her that she was very welcome to come to sleep there as well. Arturia accepted the invitation, suppressing a smile at the girls' antics.

She packed a few items for Illya and herself and went to the Tohsaka mansion. She was unsurprised at finding the King of Heroes there, too.

He and Rin had not exactly become… close, but the black-haired girl obviously respected him and he did not seem to mind her company too much.

A few days earlier, Arturia had gently enquired with Rin about what had happened the day she had been crying – and she had been told that Gilgamesh had offered her silent comfort. The thought had warmed the King of Knights's heart.

His presence there at the mansion was in fact a good thing, because Arturia had a few things she needed to discuss with him and she preferred to do it directly rather than over the phone.

The four of them had dinner together, and then Rin and Illya went to the former's bedroom, where they had taken another mattress so they could 'sleep' in the same room… most likely talk the whole night. Arturia would have probably objected to that plan if the following day had not been a Sunday and they had not been able sleep in.

The two kings remained in the living room, sipping on their favourite beverages, talking quite comfortably to each other. The conversation ended up on Noble Phantasms, especially the most powerful ones.

They talked about Berserker's Knight of Honour ability, which could turn everything he touched into his Noble Phantasm, then they mentioned Rider's Reality Marble, Ionioi Hetaroi, which was the embodiment of his great capabilities as a leader.

Gilgamesh was then quite matter-of-fact when he talked about Ea.

"When there is a stage worthy of using its power, nothing can even _hope_ to resist against Ea."

Arturia seemed to hesitate for a second.

"Something could," she replied.

Before he could do more than just look at her with a raised eyebrow, completely unconvinced, she added, "My third Noble Phantasm… Avalon."

He seemed mildly curious. Since she had to talk with him about other things that had to do with it, she began to explain.

"Avalon is the sheath of my sword… Excalibur. It was stolen during my lifetime and lost over the centuries. The Einzberns found it and used it as a catalyst to summon me as a Servant."

She paused for a second, collecting her thoughts.

"I have come to suspect that it was then put inside Irisviel to help keep her alive until the time in which she had to become the Grail's vessel."

She remembered how fast the woman had been healing after having been gravely injured against Kirei, and how she had even had enough energy to help Maiya recover. At the time, she had simply accepted that the medical abilities of the Einzberns were greater than she had thought, but the truth had not been so simple. She continued in her explanation.

"Avalon is a very powerful defence Noble Phantasm. It has, among other things, great healing abilities, but since I am its owner, it works at its full potential when I am near it or the one to use it."

Gilgamesh was silent for a while. He had never heard of a powerful _defence_ Noble Phantasm, but it made sense that, if it existed, she was the one to possess it. Since _he_ was the Heroic Spirit with the strongest attack weapon, it was only right that _she_ was the Heroic Spirit with the strongest defence weapon. Even if he still doubted that a simple sheath could have enough power to withstand Ea.

There was something that she had not explained, though, and he proceeded to ask her that question.

"After the woman died, what happened to Avalon?"

Arturia took a deep breath. They were nearing the subject she wanted to discuss with him.

"I did not know… until today."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I received a sealed envelope from Kiritsugu's will… he had given dispositions to have it sent to me, but only a certain period after his death."

She looked slightly uncomfortable.

"He has left me a short letter. In a very formal but direct way, he thanks me for taking care of Illya, and then says he felt it his duty to inform me of Avalon's fate, since it technically belongs to me."

Looking the King of Heroes in the eye, she continued, "He used it the night in which the Fourth Grail War ended, to save the life of a boy he later adopted. And today it is still inside him."

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed.

Kiritsugu had put Avalon, apparently one of the strongest defence weapons in the world, inside that Shirou mongrel?! A dumb boy without even any magic capabilities?

What had that man been thinking?

He scowled.

"You should take back your Noble Phantasm, Arturia."

She gave him a short nod.

"That is exactly what I want to do. We might have need for Avalon when the time comes for the Grail to be destroyed, and its power is still tied to me."

He directed a strange expression towards her.

"Is that the only reason you want Avalon back?"

She looked at him questioningly. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"You are not concerned about the fact that that mongrel is undeservedly making use of your Noble Phantasm?"

Arturia rolled her eyes at him.

"Gilgamesh, Avalon was lost during my lifetime, therefore, even if it still counts as my Noble Phantasm, I can't rightfully see it as mine. Aside from that, if it was what helped save an innocent life, why should I be upset about it?"

Before he could object again, she changed the subject.

"But Avalon's whereabouts is not the only thing that Kiritsugu wrote in his will. He said that a few years ago, after the end of the war, he tried to go visit Illya in Germany and, when the Einzberns' protective field did not allow him access, he took a few precautions against them."

That was not enough to placate Gilgamesh's irritation against the boy, but he decided to set it aside for the moment.

She went on, "Suspecting that another Grail War might happen in the future, he placed bombs all around the castle, set in a way so that in about twenty years they will blow up the place completely."

That was more pleasant news for the King of Heroes. If the Einzberns ever tried to be sneaky or manipulative in any way…

"Interesting," he said slowly, already with some ideas in mind.

He would have been reluctant to use his Noble Phantasms against those mongrels… but using bombs placed by the King of Knights's former Master was something he found a good alternative. He had not forgotten the way Jubstacheit von Einzbern had insulted Arturia.

She could see the destructive direction his thoughts had taken, and deemed it wise not to ask anything about it. She cleared her throat lightly to get his attention again – even though, when she looked into his eyes, she realized she had never lost it in the first place.

"We will take that matter into consideration when we will go back to Germany… which will be quite soon, I presume, since almost enough time has passed."

She seemed thoughtful.

"It's been a little more than six and a half years since the end of the war. When it will be seven years, we will have to begin the ritual to destroy the Grail. I would like to settle the matter with the Einzberns swiftly, so that Illya will have a safe place to stay when that time comes."

Gilgamesh did not have any comments to add to those words, so he simply looked at her.

Her expression turned a little grimmer.

"Speaking about the ritual… you already know that we will need a lot of mana to complete it. I have been stocking it inside the gems the Einzberns gave us – but I am worried because it might not be enough."

Her eyes found his and held his gaze firmly.

"Technically, the mana equivalent of six Servants' lives is needed for the ritual to start… but only five Servants are inside it. It might be that the Grail will try to claim another life to be properly summoned. And we will be the only two Servants around."

The look in her eyes was troubled, and he knew why. It meant the either or both their lives were going to be in danger when they would be dealing with the Grail.

Not breaking their gaze, he spoke.

"The life of one of us might be needed to materialize that filthy cup."

It was obvious. He had just stated a fact.

She did not look away from him, either, and her expression suddenly turned firm.

"I would never sacrifice you, Gilgamesh, and I would never even want to. I swear to you, I will not let you die."

She would not allow his life to be taken if she could do anything about it.

The look in his eyes, however, became a glare.

"I will not allow _you_ to sacrifice yourself, Arturia. _Never_." His red eyes were burning on hers, and his voice was icy. "I have not been around you for almost seven years only to watch you throw your life away." He leaned forward in the couch, eyes boring into her soul. "Do _not_ presume that I will allow that."

Even though she was taken aback at his intensity, she was not deterred.

"Gilgamesh, if a life is needed to complete the ritual, I will _not_ let yours be taken! And if my own is what will make us able to rid this world of that corrupted chalice, then I will give it!"

Her green eyes were determined, but his red ones were even more resolute.

"You will not die while I'm with you, Arturia. On this, I will never compromise."

The two kings glared daggers at each other, neither willing to give up and both stubborn enough to make the disagreement last for a long time, if not forever.

Their tenacity, however, was brusquely interrupted as there was a loud crash from the upper floor. Both of them immediately sat up, alert but still as regal as ever.

Two giggling girls came out of a half-burnt place that only held some vague resemblance to Rin's bedroom.

It turned out that they had been practicing Magecraft, but since they were tired their aim had not been perfect – to say that they had missed completely would be more accurate – and they had ended up blowing up the room.

Gilgamesh scoffed at them and Arturia was strict in her scolding, mortifying the two girls, who apologized, feeling ashamed for their carelessness that could have destroyed the house. Softening her stern expression, Arturia took out a few blankets and suggested for the two girls to stay on the couches, which could be opened and made into beds. Excited, Rin and Illya quickly helped setting them, and then unexpectedly dragged both kings on them, too.

They enjoyed their time with the two adults, chatting animatedly until they fell asleep, more tired than what they realized.

The King of Knights gently tucked the blankets around the sleeping forms of the two girls and stood up to go take a look at the mess that was Rin's – former – bedroom before going to sleep as well. As punishment, she would make sure that the following day, when they were properly rested, they would clean up everything.

Before she could leave the room, however, Gilgamesh's hand shot out from nowhere and grabbed hers.

Surprised, she turned around to face him.

He was giving her a meaningful look, letting her know that he had not forgotten their earlier discussion, but he would not be insisting on it for the time being.

He smirked slightly.

"Inform me when you intend to go back to Germany. It will be… interesting."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The following day, while the two girls cleaned up the destruction they had inflicted on Rin's bedroom – without magic, as Arturia had sternly instructed – with Gilgamesh present as observer, the King of Knights went to the Emiya residence.

She found Shirou and Sakura together talking, the girl shy but dedicated and the boy oblivious but caring.

Arturia spent time with Taiga, not minding her chattiness, because she knew that the brown-haired woman, even if a bit weird, was a good person at heart. She made sure to stay quite late in the evening, until Shirou and Sakura had fallen asleep in one of the living rooms. It had happened a few times already, and the girl had permission to stay over.

Gently and quickly, Arturia used magic to extract Avalon from the sleeping form of the boy while Taiga was going around turning off the lights, and then she helped her closing all the windows and doors before taking her leave.

For the time being, the King of Knights kept Avalon sealed inside her own body, but she knew that, when they would go to Germany, she was going to put it inside Illya, to protect her against any possible threats coming from the Einzberns.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

As soon as they had a morning together without school, Arturia sat down on a couch with Illya, to have a serious talk.

She explained that quite some time had passed since they had left Germany – a year and a half – and the moment had come to decide how to settle matters with the Einzbern family.

While in Japan, Illya had continued her studies with Arturia, a little bit with Rin and at the private school she had been attending. She had also met her adopted brother and had become friends with him, with Rin and with Sakura. She had enjoyed her time there, very much, and Arturia could only be happy about it.

The King of Knights knew that the girl would have very much liked to move to Japan permanently, and she would have had no objections, if there had been no threats to take care of.

However, there was one _very_ problematic threat, and it was Jubstacheit. Arturia explained to Illya that his influence, even if it could not reach her directly, was not to be underestimated, and it was best if they neutralized him before he could prepare an attack. Furthermore, the girl's Magecraft education had reached a very good level, and Arturia believed her to be ready enough to face the head of the Einzbern family, especially because they knew for a fact that many homunculi would side with her should it come to an actual fight.

Illya discussed everything with Arturia in detail, and agreed with her. Therefore, they booked a flight to Germany and the woman called Gilgamesh on the phone to inform him of their decision. He complained only briefly about having to travel by plane, but then considered that it would be better than having to endure Kirei's boring company.

The three of them went to say goodbye to Taiga, Shirou, Sakura and Rin, before leaving for an unspecified amount of time to settle some 'family matters'. None of the four people they had become acquainted with was happy to see them go, but they were reassured about the fact that it would only be temporary.

After a long but luckily uneventful journey, during which Arturia put Avalon inside her sleeping ward, they arrived at the perpetually snow-covered land where the Einzbern Castle was.

As soon as the homunculi recognized Illya, they immediately allowed her access, and since they knew Arturia and Gilgamesh as well, they had no reason to forbid them to go through, even if they were in their armours. Besides, the former Heroic Spirits would have been more than able to _make_ them allow passage.

Illya briefly looked over her shoulder to exchange a glance with Arturia, receiving a firm and reassuring nod from the King of Knights. So she determinedly asked to speak with the man she had always called Grandfather.

When Jubstacheit came to meet them, the girl was quite taken aback by his appearance. He seemed to have aged incredibly, looking much older than usual. But she was not going to let that fact deter her from her objective.

She greeted him and then respectfully and straightforwardly informed him that she intended to live her life on her own terms and stay away from anything regarding the Grail.

Jubstacheit was obviously very angry at her words, and stood up to vehemently protest.

Illya, however, listened to his anger and then let him know that she had already made her decision, and she added that Arturia, the only person whose opinion really mattered to her, supported her fully.

The King of Knights was indeed standing by her side, in her full armour and with the invisible Excalibur ready in her hand; she was silent though, allowing Illya to speak on her own.

That was when Jubstacheit lost control and yelled at the girl, with hatred burning in his aged eyes.

He reminded her that she was nothing but a homunculus, a tool created for the sole purpose of materializing the Grail in the world of the living.

Illya became angry at his cruel words, but Arturia's hand, lightly touching her shoulder, helped her keep her senses. She calmly but resolutely told him that he had twenty-four hours to decide whether or not to accept the life she had chosen for herself… then she would destroy the castle.

Jubstacheit was left speechless as she gave him a parting nod and left the room together with Arturia and Gilgamesh, who had not spoken a word the whole time. They left the property to go stay in the nearest town for the night.

The following day, to Arturia and Illya's slight surprise – Gilgamesh did not really care – they found the majority of the homunculi in the forest outside the castle, waiting for them, together with most of the treasures there were in the residence… especially all the books. They explained that they did not wish to follow Jubstacheit any longer, and if Illya was really going to destroy the palace, they knew that she would like to have the books saved.

The girl was moved by their loyalty towards her, and then asked them to take everything they needed or valued from the castle, because it was going to be demolished shortly.

Then she went to meet the head of the Einzbern family again. He seemed even older than the day before, eyes looking dead, and inflexibly refused to accept to listen to Illya any longer. She tried in vain to explain to him that he would die in the crumbling castle if he was not going to be reasonable. He refused to even look at her, but his gaze accidentally met Arturia's.

And it was then that the King of Knigths understood – Jubstacheit was broken.

All he had wanted was to be able to reach the Grail – and he had created hundreds of homunculi to finally produce an especially strong one, Irisviel. When Irisviel had had a child with a human, it had meant that the head of the Einzbern family finally had his trump card in hand.

But the homunculi could do their job properly only if they were willing to obey him… and Illya was very clearly stating that she was _not_ going to obey him.

She also had two former Servants on her side… and that meant that she would _never_ submit to him.

And that meant… that if his trump card was no longer his, he had lost everything he had fought for his entire existence.

For a split second, Arturia felt pity for him.

But it was only a moment. She knew that what he had done and tried to do was wrong, heartless and cruel. For that selfish desire of his to obtain the Grail, he had discarded countless lives, and had never stopped one second to think about them.

He was not deserving of even an ounce of her sympathy.

Without another word, Arturia, Illya and Gilgamesh left the old man and went outside. There, Arturia used her detecting powers to locate the bombs that Kiritsugu had hidden around – about which she had spoken with the girl earlier – and, together with Illya, activated them.

The Einzbern Castle collapsed on itself in less than a few minutes, only proving how precise Kiritsugu was with his explosives. Jubstacheit von Einzbern remained inside, and met his demise together with every stone of the castle, completely destroyed.

With him, the cunningness of the Einzbern family would come to an end.

All the other members were homunculi who had agreed to pledge their loyalty to Illya; the very few who had chosen to stay with the old leader had died with him.

As the castle was tumbling down, Arturia stayed by the girl's side, her invisible sword in her hand, ready to intervene in case something unexpected happened.

Gilgamesh was in his armour next to her as well, arms crossed, observing the scene in amusement.

He admitted to himself that he would probably get involved in what was going on if something were to happen to Arturia… or even to the girl, because Arturia cared about her. He refused to allow his thoughts to go in that direction, however, and simply settled for being a silent witness.

When nothing was left but a huge crumble, Illya went to talk to the homunculi, who had seen everything. She explained – it had been Arturia's idea – that they would build a new mansion in the same spot. But it would no longer be a cold and unwelcoming castle… it would contain all the books and valuable objects that had been saved, of course, but they would then turn it into a hotel. A hotel for people to go and stay and spend vacations there. It would be a way of having an honest income, and the homunculi would be able to interact with normal humans. Illya had been very excited about Arturia's suggestion, and asked the homunculi if they agreed.

They did.

Most of them cared deeply about the girl, not only because of how they were created, but also because she had always been kind and considerate towards them, even when they had been her mere servants. They looked forward to beginning to live normally, and having jobs among humans.

Arturia, Gilgamesh and Illya remained in Germany for a few more weeks, to supervise the construction of the new mansion – which would also have a private wing for Illya – and obtain the legal permissions they needed.

The hotel would be part of the Einzbern girl's heritage; therefore, Arturia had the responsibility for everything. With Illya's help, she chose two of the homunculi to be general overseers and report to her regularly.

The King of Knights guaranteed they would come again when the construction works were going to be over, and then she, the girl and the King of Heroes left to go back to Japan.

...

...

 **A/N** : you know, I enjoyed having Rin and Illya blow up the room, and Arturia scolding them :P they are slowly getting more comfortable with each other :)

Also, a little note about Jubstacheit von Einzbern. hyperomegasonic26 alerted me about the fact that he is actually an artificial intelligence, and therefore what I wrote above is completely not canon-compliant. But the rest of the fic isn't, either, so I won't be making any changes :P

Thanks for reading!


	23. Feelings deepening

**A/N** : most of the things said about Lancer's swords, especially when related to Gate of Babylon, are completely untrue in canon. Thanks for reading :)

* * *

…

...

One of the first things Arturia did when back in Japan, was to go visit the Einzbern Castle outside Fuyuki, the place where she and Gilgamesh had lived when they had received human bodies after the end of the war.

No one had been there for a while, but since it belonged to Illya, it was best to decide what to do with it.

The King of Knights talked about her ideas with the girl – because it was again her heritage they were discussing about –, who agreed. They took from the castle everything that still had value or could be used again, before having it demolished. The land was rented to a family who wished to build a farm on it, and both Arturia and Illya found it a more than acceptable solution.

Another thing the woman did was recover Avalon when the girl was asleep. Illya was safe from the Einzberns' manipulations, and there was no need for an extra protection any longer. The time of the destruction of the Grail was coming closer… Avalon's powers were going to be needed.

When she thought about Avalon, Arturia couldn't help thinking about other Noble Phantasms as well… and she had noticed that Gilgamesh had been using his Gate of Babylon differently in the last year or so.

One evening, he came to the apartment she shared with Illya because both her ward and Rin were over at the Emiya residence and he was way too bored by Kirei to tolerate his company.

He was sitting on the couch and observing her as she worked in the kitchen, calmly cooking dinner and at the same time having a casual conversation with him.

She did not allow him to be lazy for long, though.

"Gilgamesh, will you please set these on the table?" And she indicated two plates, two sets of cutlery, two glasses, napkins and a water pitcher.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

Who did she think he was, a servant? He would not be the one to set the table.

But then a thought struck him. If he did not put those items on the table… then Arturia would have to do it.

And _she_ was certainly no servant, either.

The King of Heroes found himself analysing the situation. He would just be lending the King of Knights a hand… and then they would be able to have dinner. It could be acceptable.

So he stood up and, to Arturia's slight surprise, did what she asked. She made sure to hide her expression though.

She had been certain that she would have to argue with him and even threaten to leave him without dinner, but his compliance had made things easier. She would not push her luck by showing him how astonished she was.

When she finished cooking, she brought everything to the table. Even though they were in Japan, she and Illya often ate in the Western way and without chopsticks. She filled the two plates before sitting down in front of Gilgamesh, and did not realize that a few strands of hair had escaped her usual chignon.

However, he did. And he leaned forward slightly to casually put the locks behind her ear.

His touch was soft and uncharacteristically gentle. She froze for a second – remembering that he had done the same at Kiritsugu's funeral –, but then simply continued eating as if nothing had happened. A little tilting upwards of her lips, however, gave her away, and he did not bother to hide a smirk of his own.

After dinner, they quickly cleared the table and then went to their favourite spots in the living room, sitting on the couches in front of each other. Arturia had prepared tea, but Gilgamesh of course preferred his red wine from Gate of Babylon. Seeing him use his powers made Arturia remember that she had actually meant to ask him something about that Noble Phantasm of his.

Even if she knew that he would not refuse her an answer, she was still cautious when she asked him about how he used Gate of Babylon.

He did not seem to mind her questions, instead, he answered her normally, explaining that the Gate contained the original copy of every Noble Phantasm in the world. Guessing her following question, he confirmed to her that during the past year he had begun to go through the various elements in his treasure, because he could throw the weapons as usual… or he could decide to use their actual power.

As he described some of the things he possessed, Arturia reflected, and then asked if he also had the original form of the Noble Phantasms of the other Servants from the Fourth War. She knew he didn't have the original form of Excalibur, because Excalibur had been created during her lifetime and it had been specially made as her personal sword.

Talking about the Servants of the war, however, seemed to darken Gilgamesh's mood.

He scoffed.

"Possessing the original form of every Noble Phantasm only provoked my disgust when I saw what unworthy people had the derivative ones."

Arturia could guess where his thoughts were headed, and mentally prepared herself.

"Are you talking about Lancer?"

His glare was confirmation enough.

"That unworthy man wielded Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe… but those two spears were originally a single one, which is part of my treasure." He scoffed. "That mongrel… he wasn't even a king."

Arturia narrowed her eyes. Her retort was sharp.

"He may not have been a king, but he was worthy of using those two spears."

She could feel his scepticism at her words, but she ignored it.

"As I already said in the past… I would have been honoured to have him at my side, as my fellow knight."

That truly caught Gilgamesh's interest. He stared at her with narrowed eyes. It was obvious that he was trying to convince himself that she had _not_ just said such words.

He hmphed.

"I see. So you would accept just anyone as your knight? That is not wise."

Very calmly, Arturia replied, " _I_ am the King of Knights, Gilgamesh, and therefore choosing who is worthy of being a knight is for me to decide."

He seemed to be actually taken aback, and she wondered if she had been a little too arrogant.

But she had started… and she might as well finish.

Her gaze became lost in the distance and the tone of her voice softened.

"Lancer… did not deserve the life he got, both in history and as a Servant. He had honour and loyalty, but he was cruelly stripped of both. I… wish he had had another chance."

Her eyes became sadder.

"I don't think fate has been fair. I have been given this unwanted possibility to do something else with my life… Lancer's tragedy has remained a tragedy."

Gilgamesh was completely still on the couch. He was trying very, very hard to restrain himself.

He had not felt such a blind rage in what seemed like eons. Not even when that mongrel boy had dared gaze upon Arturia had he been so angry. In the present occasion, it was _she_ who was speaking about another man… and she was doing it with her eyes looking far away and with a sorrowful expression.

More importantly, the man she was talking about was not present, so there was no one there on whom he could unleash his fury.

Arturia was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the dangerous concentration of mana in his person. She maintained her expression as calm as possible, inwardly feeling apprehensive.

She knew that perhaps she had been a little too warm in her description of Lancer, but that was as far as her interest in his tragedy went.

However, her words could have made Gilgamesh misunderstand her thoughts… perhaps Illya had not been far from the truth when she had once suggested that he might be jealous.

Slowly, the King of Knights stood up from the couch and sat down next to the King of Heroes.

Very carefully, she began to speak again.

"I believe that, had we lived in the same era, Lancer would have made a fine knight, and I would have been honoured to go into battle with him on my side. However, reality was different. We were enemies in the Holy Grail War… and other than respecting each other's abilities as adversaries, there wasn't anything else I thought about that man. Even though I deeply disliked Kiritsugu's dishonourable way of ending Lancer's life, I can't feel anything more for him… while dying, he disregarded the principles that had guided his life, indiscriminately cursing his Master, my Master and me."

Her words seemed to have a calming effect on Gilgamesh, and his expression distended a bit. But his eyes were still narrowed and he was clenching his fists tightly, clearly confining his temper.

The very fact that he was doing just that was a pleasant surprise for Arturia. He seemed to be genuinely trying not to let his anger have the best of him.

He suddenly stood up, making it clear that he intended to leave.

She felt a pang in her chest. She did not want him to leave yet. She had not meant to drive him away… and she didn't like the fact that she had.

Her actions were not planned and completely instinctive, she would have been ready to swear it.

She grabbed his wrist as he was leaving and made him turn towards her. Immediately feeling conscious about it, she released him… only to stare into his eyes deeply.

The hint of vulnerability in his gaze was almost impossible to catch, but she saw it nonetheless.

And slowly, almost unconsciously, her hand went up again to rest on his chest. She could feel his mana, which had still been unstable, instantly calm down to normal levels again.

And he took a step towards her.

One of his hands went around her waist to pull her even closer to him, and the other gently cupped her cheek. Arturia felt a sense of déjà vu. He had done the same thing before leaving Germany for Japan, almost two years before. She wasn't sure why she still remembered it so clearly.

But at the time, one of her own hands had not been on his chest… and the other had _definitely_ not gone up to touch his, the one that was on her cheek.

Her fingers, over his, lightly traced them, and then ended up resting on his hand completely, while her face gently leaned into his touch.

He came closer, his hold around her waist becoming slightly tighter.

He leaned forward, his face coming closer to hers, searching her eyes the whole time.

And she… asking herself why and finding herself afraid of giving an answer to that question… keeping her eyes firmly on his the whole time… leaned forwards as well.

Their faces became closer and closer…

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

The two kings, somehow unwillingly, let go of each other, and Arturia went to the entrance.

To her slight surprise, it was a homunculus from Germany, one of the two women to whom she had given instructions about the supervision of the place that had once been Jubstacheit's castle.

The white-haired woman apologized for the late hour, explaining that she had come directly from Germany to inform her that the work for the new hotel had been completed, and they were ready to open it.

Arturia, immediately back to her composed self, thanked her and arranged for her, with a few phone calls, to have a place to sleep at the Einzbern residence in the middle of Fuyuki, not too far from her apartment. Before letting her go for the night, she told her that very soon there would be guests coming to Germany, so it was best to make sure everything was ready for their arrival.

When the woman was gone, Arturia turned towards Gilgamesh, knowing he was looking at her questioningly.

She began to explain.

"The time for the ritual to start is coming closer. I do not wish for Illya to become involved in any way, and since the Grail's powers are unpredictable, I will have her go to Germany, where she will be safe. I will also invite Taiga, Shirou and Rin to go with her, so they will be kept out of danger as well. And perhaps… I would like for Sakura to go as well, but unfortunately, for such a thing, we would need to know more about her situation with the Matou family."

Gilgamesh was silent for a few moments.

He had to admit that he was somewhat impressed by her preparations for the protection of those people. He understood better why she had wanted to settle the issue with Jubstacheit von Einzbern before the seven years were over. Illya was going to have a safe place where to stay when the time of the ritual would come.

And it was very considerate of her to include also Rin, the brown-haired woman and the mongrel boy in her planning.

However, the King of Heroes was aware of the fact that Kirei, Rin's legal guardian, would most likely not be thrilled about having the girl go to the Einzberns', especially because he was still unaware of Arturia and Illya's presence in Japan… and in the Tohsaka's life.

But perhaps the time had come to make use of that mongrel properly.

"I don't think that Kirei will be in favour of having the girl go to Germany… however, I know how to make him agree to that, and at the same time find out more about the head of the Matou family… Zouken."

He explained to Arturia why he could make the priest agree, and then how to manipulate him into giving the information she desired.

The King of Knights was a little uncertain.

"Gilgamesh, you know I do not like manipulating people."

He seemed quite unconcerned.

"But you did it splendidly with the old man in Germany, even though I admit it wasn't actual manipulation on your part. However, do not concern yourself, because _I_ will influence the priest in your place. It will be the price he has to pay for the endlessly boring time he made me endure."

Then his expression became a little more thoughtful.

Looking at her again, he added, "When talking with Kirei, I will also mention the ritual for the summoning of the Grail… and your intention to perform it."

Before Arturia could suspect him as a traitor – after all they had been through, he would have been offended if she actually did –, he continued, "The ritual has to be executed at the Church… Kirei's collaboration will be needed."

Arturia was silent. She knew that Gilgamesh was right, but the idea of having to work with that monster repulsed her.

Before she could say anything, however, he spoke again, with a slight smirk on his face.

"I am aware of how much this revolts you. There is no need for you to worry… let me handle the priest. But do not protest against this, Arturia… for I will not allow you to be put in danger by that mongrel."

She was taken aback by the seriousness in his tone.

He meant was he was saying.

And that realization made her feel a strange warmth in her chest.

Throat closed, Arturia nodded at him, wordlessly giving him her approval to proceed. He returned her nod, without his usual arrogant expression.

With one last, long glance, he left.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

As soon as he was gone from the house, Arturia's thoughts became chaotic as they immediately went back to what had happened when she had been in his arms. Or rather, what had _almost_ happened.

He had been about… to kiss her.

No. No no no no no! Arturia shook her head fiercely, glad that no one could see her.

She could not – should not – _would not_ allow her mind to linger on such thoughts.

There was a Grail to destroy, the time for the ritual was quickly approaching, and she could not afford to be distracted by anything else. She _could not_.

Illya's future… Rin's future… even Sakura's future all depended on that corrupted cup's fate. Destroying it was essential. And she and Gilgamesh were the only ones with enough power and knowledge to do that. She could not afford to become confused by… by… she didn't even know what it was.

She was not immature enough to deny that there was indeed something, something very deep, which was growing at alarming speed between them.

And she knew that she did not dislike it. She had proof of it.

When he had enveloped her in his arms – something he had been doing quite frequently, to be fair – and then slightly leaned forward, why had she not pulled away? Why?

Because… she had not felt _threatened_ by his actions.

Nothing in his behaviour had indicated he wanted to harm or injure her. What he had been doing to her had made her feel something very powerful awaken inside herself but, even if she was not able to define it, she had _known_ it was not a threat.

It was something that had made her feel completely safe and at ease.

In fact, it was something that had made her feel… _wonderful_.

She had seen that same thing in his eyes… and she had leaned forward as well, to _welcome_ it.

She had been centimetres away from the King of Heroes's lips. And both of them had wanted for those mere centimetres to disappear.

That was definitely scary enough of a thought for one evening.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

When Gilgamesh materialized back to the Church, he went to lie down on one of the couches. He didn't have a specific one he preferred, because they were all equally uncomfortable.

His thoughts immediately went back to what had happened earlier.

He had been about to taste the lips of the King of Knights.

He felt frustration rise in his chest.

 _That maddening woman…_

He had known her for almost seven years by then. She had caught his eye during the war, and he had developed quite the fascination with her. But that had not been the end of it.

In the years that followed, his interest in her had deepened. He had seen her in a vast amount of different situations – even naked, a small part of his mind added –, which was an unusual thing, because he had mostly seen her on the battlefield during the war.

Back then, he had not assisted to many fights of hers… but he had seen more than enough to know that her expertise and skill were extraordinary. She was a very versatile kind of warrior, easily adapting to the various circumstances she found herself in. He knew she was strong, and he had witnessed her brilliance.

The following years, even if she was not on the battlefield, her demeanour had been no different, and she made her choices with the same dedication and tenacity he had come to admire and, perhaps – it cost him some audacity to admit it –… even _love_.

That she was worthy of his love was by then clear to him, but that she already had it… was unexpected.

She had proven to be unique, different from anyone else, and his initial 'fascination' with her had escalated and gone beyond a point of no return.

He had never thought that after the loss of his best friend anyone else would have been able to truly interest him, let alone manage to see him clearly enough to understand him.

But she had managed to do just that… and without even trying.

What power did she have to make such changes happen to him? Changes that he _did not mind_?

She had made him _care_ about her.

She had even made him care a little about her ward, Illya.

And she had changed his mind on Tokiomi's daughter…

How she had accomplished all that, he did not know.

But what he _did_ know was that he was becoming edgy. He wanted more from her than just her simple presence around him. His yearning – yes, yearning – for her seemed to increase every day.

He knew that there had been great progress in his relationship with her in that period of time, but he wondered if the progress had been enough for her to be at least equally interested in him.

He almost had to scoff.

In the past, he would not have concerned himself with such a question. But then again… she had made him change.

She was more than just a companion, someone he knew he could trust with his life if it was necessary.

But would _she_ trust him with _her_ life?

...

...

 **A/N** : since this is the last time I mention Lancer, I would like to briefly address my thoughts on him.

I like the character of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne very, very much, especially because of how his personality reflects his tragedy. But I do not think that he would be good together with Arturia, romantically speaking. I tried to read stories about them and, while there are some VERY good ones online, I could not get into that couple. They have mutual respect for each other, but not mutual understanding of each other - in particular, it would be hard for him to understand a complex person like her. He would make a wonderful knight - of that, I'm absolutely certain - and I can see a truly solid camaraderie between him and Arturia, but I think of him as a very reliable best friend, not a love interest. Gilgamesh has no reason to be jealous… at least in my opinion :P

Thank you for reading!


	24. Kirei and Sakura

…

...

The following day, Gilgamesh was lying down on a couch, a red wine glass in hand, while Kirei was looking through some documents he needed to fill in.

The King of Heroes was thinking. He wanted some information from the priest… but there was no need to be particularly subtle with that arrogant man.

Swirling his glass, he spoke up.

"I was under the impression that the Matous were supposed to be clever people."

Kirei's interest was awakened. It was very rare for Gilgamesh to address him, and it was even rarer for him to bring up subjects connected with the Fourth Grail War.

Unperturbed, the king continued.

"Kariya Matou was nothing more than a puppet manoeuvred from the shadows during the war… Things were said to have changed for the family. Even if their lineage is dying and the direct descendant, that blue-haired brat, has indescribably little magic prowess… since Zouken adopted Tokiomi's daughter, the Matous were supposed to have gained new power."

Kirei snorted.

"They have. The magical energy that the girl, Sakura, has… is enormous. Adopting her has strengthened the family."

Gilgamesh did not seem impressed.

"It certainly does not appear to be the case. She is nothing but a timid and submissive child. And her adopted brother, who is supposed to be much less powerful, does nothing but verbally and physically abuse her." He gave a scoff. "And you are telling me that that girl is strong? Your ability to get information has deplorably worsened."

The King of Heroes knew that such a sentence would trigger Kirei… and he would walk straight into his net and be entangled in it, telling him everything he wanted to know about Sakura and Zouken.

As expected, the priest's dark eyes narrowed.

"I said she had strong magic powers, not that she was strong as a person." His expression became more derisive. "Not that one could actually blame the girl. She spends her days in the dungeon, with the worms feeding on her body's energy, and with Zouken's ruthless and sadistic training. Her adoptive brother, Shinji, is unaware of this… he only sees his 'Grandfather' spending more time with his younger sister than with him, and he hates her for it. And after hours and hours of torture with that old man, it's no wonder she can't defend herself against Shinji… and is completely at his mercy."

Gilgamesh considered that information. Arturia would be horrified to find out about it, and he could not avoid being a little disgusted himself at what was being done to Rin's innocent sister.

However, from what Kirei had said, it was highly unlikely for Zouken to ever let Sakura go abroad as they had planned, and it would be quite difficult to save her from the abusive, dysfunctional family she was trapped in.

The only way to free her would be killing Zouken, but that was close to impossible.

The old man was a master magician, and he would not be broken as easily as Jubstacheit. His very nature, for one, was strong enough to have allowed him to live for centuries.

However, there could be a way to get rid of that immortal parasite… even if he would have to mention it to Arturia first, to make sure she agreed. For the moment, he would keep his thoughts to himself and focus again on Kirei.

Right on cue, the priest's phone rang and he answered, walking out of the room to not be disturbed.

Gilgamesh took a sip of wine, knowing perfectly who was on the other end of the line, and waited for a dissatisfied Kirei to come back.

The dark-haired man looked at him with a suspicious expression, and the King of Heroes did not bother to suppress his smirk.

"Gilgamesh."

The priest's voice was cold. The King of Heroes would have been annoyed if he had not been waiting for the following part of the conversation.

"Rin was on the phone. Completely out of nowhere, she asked permission to go visit a friend of hers in Germany. A friend whose surname is _Einzbern_."

His eyes scrutinized the man on the couch distrustfully.

"And she said that if I was against it – which I definitely am – I should talk with _you_."

Very elegantly, Gilgamesh sat up, facing Kirei. His smirk was more pronounced than usual, and his blood red eyes had a menacing glint in them. Even if the priest did not change expression, he was internally very guarded.

"What right do you have to deny the girl's desire, Kirei?"

The man in question could not hide his wariness any longer and his gaze became circumspective. His answer was stony, but with a hint of tension and defiance in it.

"I am Rin's legal guardian and responsible for her–.."

He was interrupted by Gilgamesh's short, humourless hard laugh.

"Oh, you would like that to be true. But it is – unfortunately – not the case."

The very slight uneasiness from before became more apparent in the priest's usually empty eyes.

"As much as you could hope for the contrary, you are _not_ Rin's legal guardian. The Tohsaka insurance lawyers, as it happens, are not completely incompetent, and they did not trust you as the sole person with power over both the family's heir and fortune. You had to indicate someone else as tutor for the girl… and the day you had 'meetings with some attorneys', I had just come here as well, with my legal documents. So… having no better option, you indicated _me_ as the legal guardian of Rin Tohsaka – without mentioning a word about it."

Kirei's expression had not changed, but his complexion had paled considerably.

Complying with Arturia's earnest request, the King of Heroes had indeed looked into the matter of Tokiomi's heritage.

Gilgamesh's menacing grin only widened.

"Did you honestly think that you would get away with trying to control and manipulate _me_ , Kirei?"

The man could not avoid taking a step back and subtly prepare himself to summon his weapons. He knew better than to underestimate the king in front of him… especially if he was angry.

But Gilgamesh did not seem inclined to attack him. He simply took another sip from his glass.

"Oh, do not fear. I will not do anything to you… for now."

He studied the colour of the wine.

"But you were a fool if you thought I would never know of your actions, Kirei. So, as punishment for not telling me… since the girl wishes to go to visit her friend in Germany, and since that is something you oppose… you will let her accept the invitation."

The priest's eyes narrowed, but he was still very pale. Gilgamesh didn't even look at him as he continued to taste the wine, unperturbed.

Stiffly, Kirei exited the room to call the Tohsaka mansion and give Rin permission to leave. He knew he had no other choice.

He had known the day he had chosen Gilgamesh as Rin's tutor that the king would not be pleased if he found out. Of course, he had found out – and apparently, he had made the documents official.

There was nothing Kirei could do to change things as they were at the moment.

When he was finished, he came back to the living room, where Gilgamesh was now standing. He opened his Gate of Babylon and threw the glass inside it, before looking at the dark-haired man again.

"There is something else you might be interested in knowing. Arturia will come here at the Church in a few days… and she will perform the ritual to summon the Grail."

Kirei was completely taken aback.

Arturia…? Saber from the war?

She was going to come to the Church to do _what_?

But, after thinking about it, his perspective changed.

Of course… it made sense.

That childlike woman… she had desired the Grail so much. Even if she was unbelievably naïve, she was not completely stupid, and if she intended to summon the cup, it meant she had the actual means to do so, and there was even the possibility of her succeeding.

Interesting. Meeting the Grail again… it would be a very thrilling experience. And it wouldn't be too much of a problem to get rid of Saber. After doing the ritual, she was going to be out of energy.

He almost smirked.

"So that woman has still not given up on her desire for the Grail? Hoping that the cup can grant her a wish… what stupidity."

Gilgamesh did not bother commenting. In the end, he would not even have to manipulate Kirei… that fool of a mongrel was doing all on his own. And his arrogance seemed to already be back, even if only minutes before he was as pale as a sheet.

"What astonishes me the most, Gilgamesh, is that you, with all your treasures, seem endlessly fascinated with Saber. She was nothing but a dreamer… a strong warrior doubtlessly, but too immersed in her nonsensical ideals."

Gilgamesh felt his irritation begin to rise at those words, but he knew that the priest didn't even know what he was talking about.

So he calmly said, "You never tried to see, much less understand, what kind of person she really is, Kirei. It's not surprising for you to make such assumptions."

The dark-haired man snorted.

"I don't care about her as a person. She is going to summon the Grail for her stupid wish, and that is enough to think low of her. And besides, the energy required for the ritual is going to drain her… and if that is not enough to kill her, then I will be present to finish the job."

Gilgamesh could literally see everything around him becoming red, his anger growing out of proportion.

Only the thought of Arturia managed to keep his self-control from slipping.

He briefly considered opening his Gate of Babylon to teach Kirei a lesson… but he decided against it. The man was not worth using his treasures on.

Therefore, he looked at the priest, allowing the full extent of his maliciousness to be visible in his mana level and his eyes.

A dangerous smirk appeared on his face.

"You would be wise to watch your tongue and not get cocky, mongrel. You will not speak of her like that. And make sure to remember this."

His eyes narrowed, and in that instant his expression was so death-defying that Kirei became white. The King of Heroes repeated the words he had already pronounced many years before.

"Even though there is an incredible amount of heavenly treasures in my domain, _she_ is by far superior to all of them put together… and you will not lay a finger on her, Kotomine Kirei."

With a last terrifying glare, the golden King dematerialized.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

While Gilgamesh was talking with Kirei, Arturia had gone to the Emiya residence to speak with both Illya and Rin.

She took her ward aside, to have a very honest talk with her.

She explained that the time had come for her and Gilgamesh to destroy the Grail, and that meant that it was going to be very dangerous. Not only that, but when the cup was going to be in the world of the living, it might try to pull other people inside as well… other people with the potential to be Masters. And since Illya _had_ that kind of potential, Arturia told her that it was best if she went to Germany, where the hotel's construction had just been completed and she could therefore examine the place and check if everything was proceeding as it should.

Another thing she could do was invite Rin to stay with her. Aside from the fact that they were friends, the Tohsaka heir was another potential candidate as a Master, and having her stay away from Fuyuki would be for the best. To be fair, it was not strictly necessary to be in the city to become Masters, but the Grail was still building up its strength, and therefore would not be able to reach people far away from there.

Arturia added that of course her adoptive brother and Taiga were welcome to come as well, so that there would be the rest of the family and an adult to look over them.

The young girl was quite worried about her guardian, but Arturia calmed her concerns swiftly and asked her if she agreed with her idea. Illya nodded, and they went back to the others, where she kindly made her invitation.

Taiga and Shirou immediately accepted, eager to go to a foreign country, while Rin was hesitant, clarifying that she needed her guardian's permission first. As she was about to go home to call Kirei, Arturia addressed her with a few words, saying to her that if the man was going to refuse – as he was no doubt going to do – she should tell him to talk with Gilgamesh.

Rin was surprised but, reassured by Arturia's small smile, nodded.

Arturia also briefly talked with Taiga, explaining that neither she nor Gilgamesh would be coming along, and therefore she was going to have the responsibility – if not legally, at least morally – for Illya and Rin as well. The brown-haired woman did not seem too concerned about it and accepted easily.

Illya and Shirou played in the park as the two women talked, and Rin – who for some reason looked particularly satisfied when she said she had permission to come – and Sakura – who was promptly invited to come with them to Germany – later joined them. The shy purple-haired girl seemed very dubious about coming along, but did not decline the offer.

They all spent the day in various games and chatting excitedly about the upcoming trip. The flight was scheduled to depart two days later.

After a while, Gilgamesh came as well. He silently let Arturia know with just one look that he had had no problems with the priest, and then casually sat down next to her, grudgingly accepting a teacup from the brown-haired woman, but only because he could not use his Gate of Babylon in front of a non-magic person as she was.

They were invited to stay over for the night by Taiga, who insisted it was the least she could do to repay them for the generous trip they had been offered. More out of politeness than else, Arturia accepted for both of them.

As soon as the brown-haired woman left to bring more biscuits to go with the tea, Gilgamesh's mouth was on Arturia's ear and he murmured, "Why did you accept the invitation in my name as well, King of Knights?"

She did her best to appear unaffected by his behaviour… and by his arm, who had just enveloped her waist to pull her closer.

"Oh. I was not aware of the fact that you would rather go back to Kirei's."

He had to suppress a laugh. She was becoming good at making him agree with her.

He gave her a short kiss on the ear before pulling away slightly because Taiga was back, but his arm did not leave her waist. Arturia could not subdue a slight shiver at the feeling of his lips on her skin.

That evening, long after they had eaten, the children were sent to their bedrooms. Taiga had just retired for the night as well, and Arturia, after having been told everything that had happened with Kirei, was standing up from the couch to do the same – while Gilgamesh seemed displeased to see her leave his arms –, when there was a hesitant knock on the living room door.

They briefly exchanged a glance and checked the mana of the person outside.

Recognizing Sakura, Arturia frowned, but called for her to come in.

The girl was in her bedclothes, and fidgeted slightly. She looked up at the woman in front of her, only to look away again.

Then she seemed to gather her courage and came forward to sit on an armchair. Arturia sat back on the couch next to Gilgamesh, who pulled her closer by the waist, and they both looked at the girl intently.

Her fists were clenched, and she kept them on her knees. She seemed to be conflicted with herself, and the two kings gave her the time she needed to come to a decision.

Eventually, she looked up. She seemed to be much more determined than usual, even if she didn't completely meet their gaze when she addressed them.

She cleared her throat.

"I… well… have heard that…" She took a deep breath. "Tonight, before going to sleep, Illya was explaining to Rin why you invited us to go to Germany, and why you adults are not coming. I did not mean to eavesdrop, and I would have immediately tuned out the conversation… if I had not heard the word 'Grail'."

She took another deep breath, without looking up.

"Well, you will probably wonder why I was interested in it…"

Arturia's voice was calm.

"I'm afraid we already know."

Sakura looked up in shock.

"W-what?"

The green eyes of the former King of Britain were firm on her purple ones.

"You are Rin's biological sister, adopted by the Matou family to be their heir. And… we are aware of the kind of tortures that are inflicted upon you."

Sakura was silent for a few minutes, her eyes downcast. Without looking up, she continued, "Then I don't need to explain why I'm here."

Arturia raised an eyebrow. Even if Gilgamesh's expression did not change, she knew that he was mildly curious as well.

Sensing their questioning gazes on her, Sakura bit her lip before continuing.

"I… I heard… that you intend to destroy the Grail. I think that is the best thing that can be done… but I also know that it will not be an easy feat. I have to ask you a question: do you already have a vessel for the summoning?"

Arturia looked at Gilgamesh, and in their exchanged glance, they debated whether to tell her or not. She decided they could be honest with the girl, who seemed to be much more informed about the ritual than Illya and Rin, and he approved with his eyes.

"We don't. But…"

Sakura's voice, now with a hint of hysteria in it, interrupted her.

"You have it now. You can use my body."

A short, stunned silence followed, in which even Gilgamesh lifted an eyebrow.

But before Arturia could begin to say anything, Sakura continued, still looking at her knees, "Please listen to me. My body has been prepared to be an adequate container for the Grail's power by Zouken. Aside from the insects, which enforce my strength, he has given me a few fragments he collected from the former war's Grail. With those, I am a very suitable candidate as a vessel."

There was another silence.

Then Arturia slowly began, "Even if you are a 'suitable vessel', as you say, you cannot ask us such a thing. If you become the Grail's physical form… you will die."

Sakura's head shot up and she finally met Arturia's eyes directly.

"But don't you see that _that_ is exactly what I'm asking for? I know that I am going to die if I become the vessel… and that is the very reason I want to do it!"

Her breath had become faster, and she was almost panting, her usual shyness gone.

"The Grail has to be destroyed, and you are willing to do that. To destroy it, it has to be materialized in this world through a vessel, and you need a vessel. I have all the requisites of a proper container, and I am _asking_ you to _please_ use me as the vessel!"

Suddenly, a few tears escaped her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. Her voice cracked.

"Please. I only ask to die, and for my death to be useful."

The look in her purple eyes was so full of grief that Arturia found herself unable to look away.

She knew what the girl was asking for. Her life had been so miserable that all she wanted was death… and she was even altruistic enough to want to make sure that her passing would be of use.

The King of Knights stood up and went to the thirteen-year-old girl, kneeling in front of her and putting her hands on her shoulders.

Sakura looked up at her. Purple met green, and in that instant the two understood each other.

And for the first time, Sakura gave a small, honest and truthful smile.

Arturia spoke softly.

"Very well, then. Sakura… I accept your offer. You will be the Grail vessel in the summoning."

Uncontrolled tears started to stream down the girl's cheeks as she began to sob. She fell forward into Arturia's embrace, holding the woman close as her relief poured out.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you…" she continued to repeat between the sniffles.

Gilgamesh observed the scene silently.

The girl had certainly proved to have more courage than he had expected. Her life must have been worse than hell itself if she wished for death so badly. And he knew that Arturia would see Sakura as a warrior who asked for an honourable death after a long time of fighting… and, being the noble person she was, she would respect her wishes.

It did not take long for the girl to fall asleep, and Arturia, after glancing at Gilgamesh to silently ask for a hand, gently put her down on the couch with his help. Such an action was expected of her.

However, the next thing she did was completely unexpected. She put her hands, surrounded by mana, over her breasts – and Gilgamesh could not stop himself from staring, admiring how perfectly proportioned they were for her body –; however, her actions soon brought his attention away from them.

Slowly, the blue and golden sheath of Excalibur was extracted from her chest, and the King of Knights carefully placed it over Sakura's sleeping form, letting it disappear inside her.

Gilgamesh frowned. But putting Avalon inside the girl…

Before he could say anything, Arturia softly whispered, "Becoming the vessel is a definite way to die. Sakura has asked to be freed from her terrible life, and I will respect her wish. But… I can't help hoping… that there could be a form of salvation for her as well. And if anything can save her… Avalon is the best option."

The King of Heroes took a few steps forward, to stand next to Arturia, and he embraced her from behind, his arms going around her waist to pull her close to him.

She had given up her strongest Noble Phantasm for a girl whose only desire was to die… because, even if her life had been so tragic, Arturia still hoped against hope that there was something she could do for Sakura.

There was a reason why he was so captivated by her, after all… and she kept surprising him with her choices and decisions. Each and every time.

His arms around her waist made her rest her body against his, and his lips went to her ear. Slowly, very slowly, they traced the skin of her cheek, going to her chin and very close to her lips… only to abruptly change direction and go down her neck.

She was motionless in his embrace, but slowly one of her arms went to rest on his around her waist, and the other tentatively reached up to his face, which was still on her neck and kissing her skin with more and more intensity.

Her fingers cautiously managed to touch his head, and as soon as contact was made, it was as if she could not stop. Her hand sank into his hair, involuntarily pulling him closer to her neck where his lips were by then nibbling more than just kissing.

When he reached her collarbone, as suddenly as it had started, it ended.

They both pulled away. They had sensed Taiga approaching, and they would never tolerate to be found in the position they had been in just mere seconds before. Arturia because she was not keen on letting anyone know what was going on between Gilgamesh and her – at least, not until she was sure what it was herself –, and Gilgamesh because he would never allow anyone to see her in the wonderful state she had been, enveloped in his arms and with his lips on her neck.

Composing herself quickly, Arturia explained to the brown-haired woman that Sakura had fallen asleep on the couch and asked if she could have a blanket to cover her. Taiga, already in a half slumber, nodded absentmindedly and indicated where they could find one.

After covering the girl, the two kings retired for the night… but not before Gilgamesh managed to briefly and fleetingly caress Arturia's cheek one last time.

...

...

 **A/N** : And the final part is approaching! Thank you very much for reading! :)


	25. Last preparations

…

...

When Sakura woke up the following day, she found Arturia sitting on the armchair, sipping on her morning tea calmly. They had a brief conversation, in which the King of Knights explained that the ritual for the summoning of the Grail was going to take place in about ten days.

When Gilgamesh entered the room as well, Arturia addressed the problem of what they should allow Zouken to know. Sakura was tense when speaking about him, and Arturia was a little on edge too, but it was the King of Heroes who told the girl what were the best things to say to him.

Taiga, Shirou, Rin and Illya were quite saddened when they heard that Sakura would not be accompanying them to Germany, but the purple-haired girl reassured them serenely, encouraging them to go and have fun.

So, the day after, the four of them took a plane to Germany. And when Illya gave her a phone call to inform her that they had reached the Einzbern Hotel in one piece, Arturia could breathe in relief, knowing that they were safe.

The time was coming for the Grail to finally be destroyed.

Seven years since the end of the Fourth Grail War were almost over, and that would be the best moment to perform the summoning, as they had researched in London. A lot of mana had been stocked in the gems the Einzberns had given Arturia in Germany. The King of Knights knew how to correctly use magic to do the ritual properly. And they had a vessel.

Everything was ready.

There were some details, however, that needed to be discussed.

Arturia was aware of the fact that she was going to have to use Excalibur in a direct blow against the materialized Grail, but she knew that her sword would probably not be strong enough to destroy both the incarnation of the cup and purify its essence. A double attack, as she had already realized a long time before, would be necessary to truly erase that corruption from the world forever… but she did not have enough power on her own to do that.

She needed Gilgamesh, who happened to be probably the strongest Heroic Spirit existing, to help her.

She was a little uncertain, though. She did not know if he would agree to use his Noble Phantasms to destroy the Grail… but she had to ask.

Therefore, the day after Illya had left for Germany with the others, Arturia gathered her courage – internally reprimanding herself for having to do it… she knew he was very unlikely to hurt her or actually refuse her – and asked Gilgamesh if he would be willing to use Ea on the day of the ritual.

His expression was strange, so she quickly continued, "I know how precious Ea is to you, and I am aware of the fact that destroying a corrupted artefact is probably not worthy of its power. But… Excalibur alone is not enough, and you are the only person with an attack Noble Phantasm more powerful than mine."

He was silent for a long while, making Arturia quite nervous, even if she did her best to hide it.

He was considering. When they had been doing the necessary research in London, he had already realized that not one, but _two_ very powerful attacks were needed to be able to overcome the Grail.

Arturia's sword could doubtlessly purify the darkness of the substance once the cup was properly summoned into the world – and not in the imperfect way of seven years earlier –, but then there would not be enough energy left to also annihilate the Grail's power.

The strength of Ea would be more than appropriate to give the coup de grace.

After all, the Grail was supposed to be a part of Gilgamesh's immense treasures… but it could no longer be considered such because of its corruption.

He had to get rid of it – therefore, helping Arturia with the final blow was something that appealed to him.

And he couldn't help considering that Excalibur, in its pure brilliance, and Ea, in its powerful glory… well, it would be _very_ interesting to see their immense power _combined_.

Slowly, he nodded with his head.

"The presence of Excalibur is what makes the setting worthy enough for Ea… and having our Noble Phantasms unleash their abilities _together_ instead of against each other is probably something that has never happened in history. Something that even I have never been witness to. It will be spellbinding to see."

Arturia had not expected him to agree so quickly. And she had not considered things under such a perspective.

But she had to admit… she was curious to see such an event as well. It was certainly historically unprecedented, and it would be without question intriguing to observe… even if hopefully from a safe distance, because she doubted that the Grail would be overpowered without a huge explosion.

Another matter that needed attention was the role of Kirei and Zouken.

They were unpredictable factors, but unfortunately dangerous ones. Gilgamesh knew that Arturia was very troubled about them. He did not want, however, for her to waste time worrying about the risk Kirei represented, so he persuaded her to come to the Church with him to see the priest in person and form her opinion on the reality of the situation.

Arturia thought about it, and then cautiously agreed.

Before they left through dematerialization, the King of Heroes also instructed her to speak as little as possible to the mongrel, because he did not want her to be in his nauseatingly boring company for longer than necessary.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The old, wrinkly man had just allowed the girl to leave the dungeon for the day, and he exited it as well, walking through the dark alleys of the mansion.

A cruel grin crept on his face. He had received a piece of news he had been _very_ gratified to hear.

The Grail was about to appear in the world of the living again. And Sakura was indeed the best person to be the vessel, therefore everything would go according to his planning.

It would be difficult for his plans to go the way he wanted them to if she fully became the embodiment of the cup… but he had a way of going around that obstacle.

The sadistic tilt of his mouth widened.

"Shinji."

The boy had been waiting outside one of the rooms, throwing his sister a dirty look as she walked past him.

Zouken indicated the stairs to go downstairs with a slight tilt of his head, wordlessly ordering the boy to follow him.

As they were in a barely lighted room next to the worm cellar, the head of the Matou family explained the situation in a way that Shinji could understand it.

The boy was not aware of the real nature of his family, but he had enough knowledge about the Holy Grail Wars to understand what his Grandfather was telling him. And he had enough idiocy to be animated at the prospect of what was going to happen.

Zouken's expression was serious as he laid down more details for the boy.

"If you do as I say, _exactly_ as I say, we will be able to obtain the Grail."

Shinji nodded zealously, obviously eager to please his Grandfather.

"Remember, boy: follow my instructions with exact precision."

When the older man came to the details of what was needed to do the day of the summoning, he was very blunt when saying what was going to happen to Sakura.

"She will die."

Shinji seemed to hesitate for a second, but his expression immediately became contemptuous.

"She never was anything special anyway."

Dismissing his sister's life with a mere few words… the youngster at least proved to be related to him in some ways. But his value was not higher than that in Zouken's eyes.

Yes… the boy would serve his purpose, and he was going to do it splendidly.

Finally, there could be a Matou descendant who was worthy of completing his plans… at least for the last seconds of his otherwise utterly useless existence.

Shinji felt very proud. He could finally prove how much better he was than that wench… and he had the opportunity to show it to his Grandfather, who was trusting him to help him. He was going to give his all to make his worth evident.

Zouken saw those thoughts clearly in the fourteen-year-old's expression.

The boy was so easily manipulated.

The head of the Matou family would have rolled his eyes… if he had still had eye sockets to do so.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Meeting Kirei was quite a strange experience for Arturia. She felt more than a little repulsed by him, and only the fact that Gilgamesh was by her side prevented her from attacking him.

More than once, hearing the man scornfully ridicule her and what he supposed were her reasons for summoning the Grail, she was about to lose her patience and at least give a sharp remark, but the King of Heroes's hand was on her arm the whole time, strangely keeping her calm and collected.

She knew it was useless to try to say anything to the priest to take him out of his misconceptions – he was not worth it. And it would be even more useless to get visibly annoyed at him.

What made Arturia keep her cool façade the most, however, was the fact that whenever Kirei directed an insult at her, she could feel Gilgamesh's grip tighten slightly, and she knew that he was angry on her behalf. That was… almost… _sweet_ of him.

She pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on observing the priest. Being able to stay calm allowed her to see the situation very keenly.

Kirei was an arrogant and disdainful man – and Arturia could clearly see the difference from Gilgamesh.

The King of Heroes was arrogant and sometimes disdainful as well – but he was not rancorous, nor traitorous, nor intentionally cruel. The arrogance he possessed had a reason behind it – he was wise and knowledgeable beyond his years as he was the first Hero and therefore king of all of them –, Kirei's had not.

As soon as they left the Church so that he could dematerialize Arturia back to her apartment, she proceeded to disclose her thoughts and considerations to Gilgamesh. And, to her surprise, he gave her an impressed smirk.

"Very interesting, King of Knights. It appears that not only _I_ am able to understand _you_ … it goes the other way round as well."

His voice lowered as he stared at her. "You constantly continue to prove how truly admirable you are."

Their eyes met, and he suddenly came closer to her, one of his hands going on her shoulder. In instinct, since his actions had been abrupt, she took a step back… and she saw how that seemed to actually _upset_ him.

His hand retracted from her, and he looked away.

His voice seemed to be strained.

"I can see that, no matter the circumstances, you are never going to let anyone close to you."

Her breath caught in her throat.

He… he actually thought that she did not let him close?

After all that had happened between them, he still thought that she was not letting him be closer than anyone else had ever been to her? That she wasn't opening up to him more than she ever had with anyone else?

Did he really think… that he hadn't proved to be _worthy_ of being close to her?

Although… she had to admit that the step back she had taken in instinct was not exactly a proof of the fact that she had faith in him.

Before she could consider her actions carefully, she took a step forward and put her hand on his cheek, making him turn his head to look at her again.

And she smiled at him, with a small but _earnest_ smile… allowing her words to slip out.

"I trust you now, Gilgamesh."

His red eyes widened for a split second before darkening slightly, but not in anger… no, not this time.

This time… his eyes darkened in _yearning_.

He had waited for so long to hear something, _anything_ , from Arturia's lips that would indicate that she had truly come to care a little about him… and what she had just said exceeded his best expectations.

To know that he had earned the King of Knights's trust, and hearing her say that to him with a smile… it made something awaken inside him, something warm and wonderful that had been growing inside him for the past years together with that woman.

Leaning forward, he swiftly took her into his arms, a hand going behind her head to pull her face close to him and the other surrounding her waist.

Their eyes were deeply focused on each other, green on red, and their lips… their lips were millimetres apart…

And in that moment Arturia's mobile rang.

Slowly, reluctantly, the two kings separated. It was not the first time they were interrupted, nor was it the second.

And they both felt more than a little disappointed.

They… would have liked for something more to happen.

Arturia turned away slightly to answer the call, which was from Illya, and had to be kept short because of the high cost of an intercontinental phone connection. The girl happily talked about the hotel, briefly describing how well it had been built and how the other guests were enjoying their stay.

As she listened to the girl, Arturia felt something against her hand… and noticed the keychain Gilgamesh had given her as a gift. She could not help smiling, and replied warmly to her ward before ending the communication.

She had not noticed that Gilgamesh had seen her look at the keychain, but she did not miss the powerful glance he gave her.

He reached forward to touch the key-holder, his fingers grazing her hand as well. The contact sent electricity through her, and neither of them broke their intense gaze.

After a few seconds, however, he turned away from her, raising a hand in goodbye, and telling her he would be back on the following day. Then he disappeared.

The King of Knights stared at her mobile, before collecting herself and entering her apartment.

Her mind went inexorably back to what had almost happened between her and Gilgamesh… and she had to admit that she had wished for that moment between them to last a little longer.

Because she knew that if their lips met, it would not be just a simple touch.

Oh, no.

It would be much, much more.

And for the life of her, she could not understand why the thought was both frightening… and superbly fascinating.

She almost had to bury her face in her hands. He had become so constant in her life… that she was even taking up his vocabulary.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Among all the last preparations that had to be done for the summoning – Arturia spent quite some time in meditation, to stabilize her mana levels so that she could perform the ceremony correctly –, time passed quickly, and the day of the ritual came.

In her dark blue dress with her silver armour over it, the King of Knights held her invisible sword in her hand as she materialized in the yard of the Church with Gilgamesh. The King of Heroes was wearing his golden armour as well, and his expression was unreadable.

After exchanging a glance, they entered the building, going towards the room Kirei had indicated as the right place to have large concentrations of mana required for the summoning.

The room was quite big, with an altar in the middle, and otherwise empty and without unnecessary decorations.

Escorted by Kirei, Sakura entered the room right after them. She was wearing her normal school uniform, and she appeared to be much calmer than usual, and without her usual shyness.

When she saw the two kings, she gave them a nod in greeting, but both could see in her eyes that she was grateful for their presence and relieved… probably by the fact that the ritual would indeed take place.

A small, content smile came on her face, and it was then quite obvious how much she was looking forward to finally being able to be free.

Kirei, who had not seen the girl's expression, briefly went out of the room to lock the Church and make sure they would not be interrupted. And as the girl climbed on the altar to prepare herself to become the vessel, Arturia and Gilgamesh looked at each other.

Bright green and blood red eyes met, both by then used to those penetrating stares they had shared more than once.

He gave her a tiny smirk, and his hand came closer, clearly going up to cup her cheek, but she intercepted him midway, grabbing it with her own.

They were in front of each other, with Arturia grasping his hand, near to her face, where he had been aiming to go.

Her eyes were conflicted, but she decided quickly.

"We have to start the ritual."

Gilgamesh gave her a short nod, but he could not stop himself. Since she was holding his hand, he turned his into her grasp… and intertwined their fingers.

Her mouth parted in surprise… and his eyes were drawn to her lips immediately. He had been so close to them only a few days before…

But what she had said was true… it was time to start the summoning. With her hand in his, he squeezed her briefly but firmly, wordlessly making sure she remembered that he was right there by her side.

He knew she understood – and returned the feeling – when she squeezed back.

And before she could end the connection, he fleetingly brought their intertwined fingers to his lips… and kissed the back of her hand. Her eyes were on his the whole time, and he knew that, somehow, she had actually appreciated the gesture.

Without another word, every contact between the two kings ceased and, as Kirei entered the room again, they turned towards the altar, where Sakura was lying with her eyes closed.

It was time to begin the ceremony.

...


	26. The Grail ritual

…

...

The King of Knights walked to the altar where Sakura was lying. Gilgamesh remained behind her, while Kirei was on one side, impatiently observing her every move.

Arturia's invisible sword disappeared from her hand, and she extended both of them over the girl's body. Calling forth the gems that the Einzbern family had given her in Germany several years before and which she had continued to fill with mana, she allowed them to fall from her hold.

The precious little stones shone with the enormous quantity of magical energy that was inside them, and they positioned themselves around the girl, who still had her eyes closed. Kirei had not been informed of it, but Sakura had told the two kings that she was going to put herself into an enchanted sleep, from which she hoped to never awake again, in order to not feel anything as the Grail took possession of her body.

Hiding her sadness about the girl, Arturia began to use the proper symbols she had prepared.

They were ancient and mysterious, engraved into amulets that Kirei had provided, and they were placed around Sakura as well.

The energy that was being amassed around and on the girl was so powerful that light began to emanate from it, and the priest, still on one side of the room, had to cover his face from the intensity that originated from the centre of the room.

The time had come for the ritual to begin. Seven years had passed since the last Holy Grail War had ended… and the cup's energy, still fuelled by the lives of five Servants and four Masters, had grown enough to be accessible from the world of the living.

With correct symbols, a suitable vessel and a massive amount of mana, all in a significant place in the centre of the city of Fuyuki, something was bound to happen.

And it did.

Little by little, the light coming from the gems and the symbols began to increase, as their power was being transferred to Sakura's body. Her skin began to glow, and her form was lifted from the altar slightly, beginning to float in the air.

She didn't open her eyes, still in her unnatural sleep, and Arturia was internally very grateful for that. Both she and Gilgamesh could feel the colossal amount of magical energy that was going to her body, and they knew it would have been extremely painful, had she been awake.

The glow from her form began to intensify, and a strange dark substance began to drip from her to the floor.

Kirei was fascinated by the scene, not having been witness to what had happened seven years earlier because he had been fighting Kiritsugu. But he did not know what was happening to the girl's figure, whose radiance continued to increase.

But the kings realized what was going on. The Grail was using Sakura's energy to begin to have a physical form… but to do that, it was purifying her body to make her a worthy container, killing all the Matou worms and the traces of the abuse she had had to go through her whole life.

Slowly, the contour of the girl's form began to be more translucent as more and more mana flew into her… and the tremulous image of a golden, richly decorated chalice became visible.

The Grail was beginning to materialize itself in the world of the living, its physical and spiritual form starting to merge and become a single identity.

And that was Kirei's cue to act.

Without warning, he turned away from the almost blinding light coming from the middle of the room, and opened the door.

Arturia and Gilgamesh turned abruptly towards him… and a person they had no desire to see appeared in front of them.

Surrounded by a dark cloud of insects, Zouken made his entrance, a cruel and satisfied smirk on his contorted face. It was obvious that he had an agreement with the priest.

There was only a split second before the vicious bugs began their assault on the two kings. Gilgamesh, who was nearest to the door, didn't have to do anything more than throw two little swords from his Gate of Babylon, which had the ability to change directions. They did quick work of most of the insects coming towards him, and the few that escaped were cut down by Arturia's precise invisible sword that she had called to her hand again.

But that worried the King of Knights. Why was the attack so easy to deflect and why at the same time were the bugs clearly infused with too much magical energy? Somehow, the old magician seemed to know that the two former Heroic Spirits were able to sense mana…

The reason why the attack had been so full of needless magical force became apparent when a figure emerged from the mass of insects. The dark cloud had taken advantage of the attack to move unnoticeably towards the centre of the room, and a boy's figure jumped out of it.

Arturia recognized him as Sakura's older brother, the one who had repeatedly been mistreating her. His levels of magical energy were almost non-existent… and the stronger mana of the bugs had hidden his approach.

Shinji was very close to the floating form of the girl, over whose stomach the shape of the Grail was becoming discernible.

He ran towards it and Arturia, comprehending what he was about to do, yelled out a warning before she could control herself… but he did not listen to her.

He stopped exactly in front of the huge light coming from his sister. Without a second thought, he extended his hands towards her… and touched the slowly forming silhouette of the golden cup.

His childish face grinned in triumph, and his voice spoke up in exhilaration.

"I did it, Grandfather! I took the Grail…! But–, … no…! What is–…?"

The light coming from the girl left her abruptly, and concentrated into the mass in Shinji's grasp.

The two kings were both forced to take a step back because of the sheer force erupting from it, and they were therefore unable to stop Zouken from coming closer to the boy.

The most sadistic expression ever was on the face of the head of the Matou family. Not giving anyone the time to act, Zouken extended a hand to push the shadow of the Grail inside Shinji's stomach, whose eyes widened in shock and fright.

The light from the gems, the symbols and the forming chalice, which were previously on Sakura, disappeared from her still floating body and concentrated on the boy, beginning to grow from within him.

An unearthly scream left Shinji's mouth as his body was quickly consumed by the magnitude of the energy that was invading him.

His personal strength and mana were nowhere near his sister's, and he had never been meant to be a vessel… his fate was sealed.

Sakura's figure, no longer infused with the light that was summoning the Grail, rapidly stopped glowing and being translucent… and also stopped floating.

But before her limp body could fall on the floor – Shinji had taken her place over the altar –, Arturia managed to catch her and take her to the other side of the room, where she gently put her down.

The woman felt for the girl's pulse, and breathed in relief when she could see her also breathing faintly. She was alive… and the King of Knights put her hand briefly over Sakura's stomach, knowing that with that gesture, Avalon would begin its work and keep her safe.

She then turned away from her to look at what was happening in the blinding light in the middle of the room.

Zouken looked at the boy's disappearing form, and his horrifying grin only widened. Sakura's strong personal energy had provided the basic draft as the Grail's vessel, and Shinji's body was being the real container for the mana of the five dead Servants from the war plus the one coming from the gems. The boy had no chance of surviving such a devastating force – he was weak.

And within seconds, as his expression was agonizing, the Grail's light seemed to explode out of him – and Shinji was consumed by it and completely disintegrated.

Entirely unimpressed and unaffected, Zouken stared greedily at what had taken his grandson's place.

The golden form of the Grail had fed on the boy's life, and it was almost completely physically tangible.

The head of the Matou family had been counting on that.

His intention was nothing else than _control_ the physical form of the Grail… and he knew he would not have been able to do so if Sakura had truly become the vessel. Her body was more than ready to be an adequate container, but – exactly as it had happened – the energy that had been released had eliminated the worms from her body… freeing her from his control. And without that, it would be very difficult to hold power over the holy cup.

But Shinji… Shinji was weak. He had not Sakura's power by any means, and he would not become as strong a vessel – but his life would amply make up for that, and the fact that he was weaker, well, it was precisely what Zouken was counting on.

A less strong physical form for the Grail – something that would be compensated by the boy's life in any case – would make it possible for him to control the Grail's energy, and he would finally hold that supposedly wish-granting and legendarily valuable cup in his power, as its master.

Zouken extended his hand towards the almost fully formed chalice… but he turned around abruptly as he felt a menacing and very strong presence behind him.

And the next instant, a golden weapon stabbed him in the place where his heart was supposed to be.

The King of Heroes was standing in front of him. He had opened his Gate of Babylon and taken out a spear… a spear he had already told Arturia about.

It was the original form of the twin weapons that Lancer had wielded during the war… and it possessed both their powers. The ability to break through mana defences and the ability to inflict cursed injuries that would not heal.

And it was probably among the very few things in the world that could actually harm a being like Zouken.

Gilgamesh's expression was cold.

"You are the _lowliest_ of mongrels."

But Zouken had not stayed alive for centuries only to fall so easily. His creased hands came up swiftly and through sheer physical strength, he managed to halt the spear – a mere millimetre away from the place his heart was supposed to be. He was not using mana to stop it, so the spear's power was ineffective in such an occasion.

Gilgamesh increased the pressure, but without any achievement. Zouken, a master magician, began to use the rest of his considerable energy to the best of his abilities, beginning to magically attack the King of Heroes's arm muscles. His first attempts were of course futile against the strong opponent, but it was not going to take a long time for him to break through the golden King's defences.

Because the only, minimal weakness that Gilgamesh had was that his resistance against magic was not very strong… and Zouken was aware of that.

His evil smirk returned on his face.

However…

The King of Heroes perhaps was not the strongest in terms of magic resistance… but in the same room, there was the Heroic Spirit who was exactly that.

Suddenly, Gilgamesh felt a pair of small but strong hands clasp around his and toughen his hold on the spear.

Arturia was next to him, and regarded the old sadistic monster with the King of Heroes's same cold look.

Her words were simple.

"Invisible Air!"

Her second Noble Phantasm surrounded Gilgamesh's spear, increasing its sharpness, and with one last powerful thrust forward, the two kings pierced Zouken's chest.

Tainted venom spilled out from a dark, lifeless carcass of a body, while all the insects still flying around the room fell on the floor, dead.

The spear's power ensured that the head of the Matou family could not recompose his body – and since the worms he had placed into his latest experimentation – Sakura – had been exterminated as well… he could not survive in any possible way, and Zouken met his end.

Carefully avoiding the dark poison on the floor, Arturia went to Sakura, making sure the girl was still breathing. She doubted that her life was connected to Zouken's in any way, but it had been a possibility.

To ensure her safety, she used her knowledge about magic to build a barrier around her using a gem with mana she had kept on herself as last resort, in case there had not been enough energy to summon the Grail. It would be more than adequate to protect the girl, because Avalon's regenerative powers were considerable, but Arturia was not going to risk Sakura's life when she had just survived in a miraculous way.

Then she made Excalibur appear in her hands again, allowing the invisibility spell to leave her sword.

The Grail in the middle of the room was becoming more concrete by the second, and the light that was flowing towards it coming from the gems was gradually decreasing.

What had previously been the body of the Matou boy was continuing to absorb energy, and it was obviously near the point in which the Grail would be fully materialized.

The two kings exchanged a glance. It was time to put an end to everything.

Gilgamesh made his Anti-World ultimate weapon, Ea, appear in his hand.

At the same moment, they raised their Noble Phantasms. And in the same instant, they shouted their names as they released all their energy in a double attack against the Grail.

"EXCALIBUR!"

"ENUMA ELISH!"

It was too late to stop it when they saw a form dressed in black come up in front of the fully physical cup.

It was Kirei.

After opening the door to let Zouken in, he had simply waited next to the entrance, observing the events unfold. He had been completely dismayed by the turn of events, from what the boy had done to the old man's demise, and he could not believe what the two former Servants were about to do.

It appeared that they intended to use their Noble Phantasms on the Grail.

And that meant… that they intended to destroy it.

It was exactly what Emiya Kiritsugu had decided to do seven years earlier as well.

Kirei could see that he had been wrong when he had thought that the woman, Saber, had a wish to make on the cup.

All she wanted was to destroy it.

He could not allow it. He would not allow it. But there was nothing he could do.

Instinctively, he moved when they struck. And he found himself between the Grail and an immensely powerful destructive attack coming towards him.

Completely ignoring the latter, his eyes landed on the chalice. Longing appeared in his eyes, and his hand extended towards it…

But it was too late.

The striking force of the two formers Servant's blow outshined the blinding light coming from the Holy Grail… and the combined power of Excalibur's pure brilliance and Ea's omnipotence vaporized everything.

The release of the attack caused a huge light to erupt, and Arturia saw it exploding from the Grail and expand from there, enveloping everything. She felt comforted by the thought that Sakura was safe from it… and then she saw it coming towards her as well.

Strong arms wrapped around her body, pressing her to a familiar form, and made her turn away from the blinding brightness. She could sense that the energy from the cup was being consumed by the strength of the attack with shattering brutal force, but the body around her was shielding her from its intensity.

But that meant… that _he_ was on the receiving end of the blunt power of it.

He was getting hurt while defending _her_ …

Even if she had a strong magic resistance, she knew that such a destruction would have probably hurt her… so what was going to happen to _him_ , who had a slightly lower magical resistance than her?

She knew that he was strong, but not even his strength would be enough against what the Grail was unleashing.

She clutched tightly on the arms around her and allowed her armour to dissipate. With the last of her strength – she had given most of what she had in Excalibur's attack – she willed her remaining mana to flow towards him, to help him withstand the shock wave.

His hold on her became securer, and the next instant the two kings were surrounded by the exploding light.

The Grail in both its physical and spiritual form, Shinji's disintegrated residues, Zouken's poisonous remains and Kirei's body… all vaporized and completely annihilated.

When the explosion finally subsided, Arturia had only enough energy left to absentmindedly reflect on the fact that she had actually managed to give Gilgamesh her strength…

…just a second before everything in front of her became dark and, completely exhausted, she passed out.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

When she regained consciousness and slowly woke up, she could feel pain everywhere in her body.

Those were the sensations that usually came after a battle… and that was what made everything come back to her.

With an odd sense of déjà vu, she noticed the King of Heroes next to her. She had already woken up once with him near her… seven years before.

Cautiously sitting up, she realized that they were still in the room where the Grail had been destroyed. The altar in the middle had disappeared, demolished in the blast, and everything was covered in rubbles. The walls had been badly damaged and the entrance door had been obliterated in the explosion, but the roof of the church had miraculously remained intact.

Arturia looked around her. Gilgamesh was no longer wearing his armour – she wasn't either, she noticed… she had apparently consumed too much energy to make it appear again – and his levels of mana were a little lower than normal, but he was otherwise completely unharmed.

In one corner of the room, Sakura was still sleeping, a faint energy surrounding her. The woman went to her, seeing that the gem's power had been used almost completely to deflect the shockwave from the attack, and only Avalon's presence had ensured the girl's safety. Her pulse was normal and her breathing regular; she was immersed in a deep sleep, but it was no longer a magic-induced one.

Her expression was peaceful and even relaxed.

Arturia could not suppress a small smile. Sakura had been purified from the worms in her body and she had survived… she could have a normal life, finally free from her abusers and able to be with her biological sister and her friends.

Thinking of the girl's sister made the woman remember that Kirei – the man who to an extent controlled Rin's life – had tried to interfere when she and Gilgamesh had unleashed the power of Excalibur and Ea.

The priest had been caught in the blast and had died. Rin was free as well… and that fiend had had his final judgement.

Arturia breathed slowly as she wobbled slightly on her feet.

She heard the King of Heroes's voice.

"You were foolish to completely consume your energy to give it to me."

She did not look at him and quietly replied, "You needed it… otherwise the Grail would have hurt you."

He scoffed slightly. However, he did not deny the statement and she knew that he acknowledged the fact that the mana she had given him had indeed helped him withstand the immense destruction.

She could not believe it… they had actually made it. They had actually destroyed the Grail.

They had succeeded.

That corrupted cup no longer existed.

She felt… content.

And completely drained.

She had done what she had to. She had completed her work. Everything that she had set out to do from the moment she had been given a human body, seven years before, had been accomplished.

She had looked after Irisviel's daughter, who had grown and had become free from her cruel destiny and from Justacheit's control, and now was in charge of her life and of her Einzberns' inheritance.

Illya had also had the opportunity to see her father one last time, and had met her adoptive brother, becoming friends with him.

Rin was no longer a slave of her selfish father's desires, had grown as well and was no longer under the tutelage of the person responsible of the death of her parents.

The cruelty of both Kirei and Zouken was gone forever, and all the children – Illya, Rin, Sakura, Shirou – could grow as friends together and finally be free from the dark shadows of the past.

Arturia took a deep breath and finally exhaled. Other than making sure that the survivors of the Fourth Grail War had a better life, she had also come to accept her former time as a king.

She had really done everything she could… her existence was no longer needed.

She could finally die.

The thought was… almost comforting.

But it lasted less than a second… because there was someone she had consciously tried to avoid thinking about.

And that same someone had come to stand in front of her, looking at her face intently… and seeming completely aware of what she was thinking.

She did her best to keep a calm expression, at least outwardly, and discreetly avoided looking at him.

But she knew, by then, that he was able to see through that kind of façade easily and would not be fooled.

She was caught completely off guard and could not help looking up at him, however, when he literally _hissed_.

His eyes were afire, and his expression was fiercely determined.

"Don't even _think_ about it."

His words were said darkly, and she instantly knew that he had realized what she was deciding about her life.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. Even though his reaction was something she had never witnessed from him before, that did not change the fact that it was not his place to decide for her.

If she felt done with her time in the world, what on earth did he have to say in it?

Her voice had a hint of coldness in it.

"I no longer have true regrets. I can be proud of what I have accomplished during my life… _both_ my lives. And now, I no longer wish to have it."

For the first time, he truly glared at her… and his voice rose as he _snapped_ at her.

"Arturia, you have been given a chance – the chance of another life to live–.."

"I didn't ask for it!" she screamed, feeling her anger grow. "I was given this life I didn't want!"

He actually _yelled_ back, "That's exactly the point, you stubborn woman! You were given the incredibly rare opportunity of living a new life – therefore you should make the most of it!"

She shot back, "But I _did_! I did my best to look after Illya, and help Rin, and Sakura, and then destroy the Grail to rid the world of it–.."

He looked as if he was about to slap her – and he interrupted her brusquely. Their argument was quickly escalating.

"That is again the point! You are not listening! Make the most of it – _for yourself_ , for once! You have the _right_ to do that! Stop being such a martyr and living your life for others! Stop giving up your personal desires for the sake of everything else and continually sacrificing yourself, Arturia!"

Her expression was shocked, while his… his was strangely undefinable.

And his next words… pronounced in a whisper… touched her deeply.

"I will not… let the greatest treasure of the whole world slip right through my fingers."

He could not lose what was most important to him… not again.

His best friend had been taken from him… but Enkidu had not been the one who had wanted to go. Enkidu had not wanted to leave him, and _that_ was what had eventually made it possible to survive the loss, to continue with his life as a king.

But with Arturia… he knew that it wouldn't be the same. She was _choosing_ to die. She was _choosing_ to leave him.

And that… that would make her loss a pure and excruciating agony.

He would not be able to ever overcome it… or accept it.

The realization hit him hard.

He would not be able to continue living if she died… and if she _chose_ to leave him… that would be the worst of it all.

She had become so important to him that he, the King of all Heroes, could no longer truly live without her.

She was the only person in the world who had ever made him feel that way… and she was the only person in the world _worthy_ of such feelings.

All the treasures of the world were _nothing_ compared to her.

She had him completely at his mercy… she had his _love_ … and she didn't even know it.

She had the right to be told… he should tell her.

He could not force her to have his same feelings… but he would not allow her to give up on herself… or her life.

From what he had seen in the seven years he had observed her, she had not given up – ever.

She had constantly fought and she had come out on top, victorious – only to now suddenly decide to surrender after all that?

Gilgamesh felt anger, frustration… and desperation.

He could not _force_ her to stay with him. He was the first almighty king, he was the strongest Heroic Spirit, he had more knowledge than anyone else, all the treasures in the world belonged to him… and yet, he felt something that by human standards would be powerlessness.

He could not _make_ Arturia stay in the world of the living. Because ultimately, it was her own personal choice that would determine it, that would determine if _he_ was worthy of what he desired.

All his power would not be enough to change that.

He wanted her to stay with him. He wanted _her_ … her everything. Everything that was her. Her time, her care, her attention, her… love.

He wanted all that… and he knew he could not impose those wishes upon her. But he did not want to. He wanted to _deserve_ her, and he wanted her to give that to him of her own free will.

But he would not be able to prove he was worthy of that if she turned away from life, if she turned away from everything, if she was selfless again…

He would not just stand by and watch, though. He had the right to tell her what he thought.

And he took a step towards her, to be face to face with her.

"You have always, always done everything for others. You have fought for Illya – and now the girl has a future. You have made sure that Rin grew up from her delusions and became a stronger person. You have struggled to save Sakura's life even when everything was against her, when there was no hope at all. You have _never_ given up on anyone, Arturia… Do you honestly think that I will simply watch as you give up on _yourself_?"

His eyes were pools of fiercely burning blood.

"I will not allow you to stop being true to who you are. If I can prevent you from leaving me… then I will."

Her eyes were wide as she was pulled into his arms.

And the next instant, his lips crashed against hers.

His mouth was demanding, strong, considerate, passionate, _desperate_ … it was everything that he was, as a king and as a man, in that instant… and always.

He accepted and respected her, for who she was. For seven years, he had never left her side, broken through the barriers she had built around herself, seen everything about her… and he was not intimidated nor repulsed. No. He, who had knowledge, who had wisdom, who had strength, who had the whole world at his feet… he had _chosen_ to stay by her side.

And all he asked was for her to _consider_ to remain with him, too.

That man she had once only been able to respect as a fellow king but condemned for his arrogance and apparent cruelty… not only had proven to be much more than she had expected, but he had also proven to have strong, deep feelings towards her.

Feelings she now knew she returned… whole-heartedly.

She was aware… she had never had the opportunity nor the desire to think of herself. She had never _allowed_ herself such a luxury.

But falling in love with him was not something she had allowed herself to do, either.

He had changed, she… had changed as well, and she had learned to know him, and he had become… _precious_ to her.

She, who had never truly confided in anyone and never let anyone close to her… had ended up caring deeply about him and trusting him more than anyone in the world.

But… she could not tell him.

 _How_ could she tell him… when she had just realized it?

It had been hard enough to merely acknowledge what her true feelings for him were… telling him was another matter entirely, especially when she was in his embrace, his arms around her to hold her securely, and his lips against hers in a bruising kiss–..

Oh.

There was a perfect way to let him know. It was so obvious… she would have reprimanded herself for not having realized it sooner, had she not been starting to get lost in the sensations he was eliciting from her.

Arturia closed her eyes.

…

And, finally…

…she kissed him back.

…

The instant she responded, Gilgamesh felt an electric shock run through his body.

The emotions the woman in his arms was making him experience were entirely new and unfamiliar… and yet, they were perhaps the closest thing to perfection he had ever felt.

His hold around her tightened, his eyes closed as well, he feverishly deepened the kiss… and she welcomed it.

If his mouth had not already been occupied, he would have smiled.

In a true, earnest, _wide_ smile.

Because he knew in that moment that she had made her choice.

She had chosen to accept her life… and stay with him.

…

…

…

...

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

…

…

...

THE END

…

…

...

 **A/N** : Kidding. It's not the end. :) :P :)

There is still the epilogue. However, it has become such a long epilogue that I've decided to divide it into three parts. ;)

Also, these twenty-six chapters covered about seven years. The epilogue (three chapters) covers about five years, so it will obviously be more fast-paced and probably even a bit rushed. But I couldn't just make the story end here, now, could I? ;)

Thank you so, so much for reading!


	27. Epilogue 1 - Fixing

**A/N** : Usually, the epilogue makes sure the story skips ahead a few years, right? Wrong. Or at least, here it won't happen :P

* * *

…

...

Arturia was a physically strong woman, and in battle that had been proven more than once.

But that did not mean that she was able to carry a sleeping thirteen-year-old girl on her own, especially when she was very low on mana and therefore unable to use magic to ease her task.

The King of Heroes suppressed a sigh as he made those considerations, and then looked at Sakura. The girl had proven her courage by offering herself as a vessel, even if it had been her means of welcoming death. Arturia had given up her most powerful Noble Phantasm for her… that meant something. And as much as he wished to feel again the _very_ pleasing contact of his lips on hers, right then, they needed to leave. There were going to be a lot of – tedious, Gilgamesh mentally added – bureaucratic forms to fill out about the half-destroyed Church, and that was going to take time… time they did not intend to waste in that moment.

He went next to the King of Knights, bent over a little and picked up the girl himself. As he stood up again, he indicated for Arturia to take his arm.

Immediately understanding that he intended to dematerialize with them both, she frowned, looking at the sleeping Sakura.

"But, we don't know about the effects of dematerialization on the girl…"

His reply was cool, calm, collected…, and logical.

"She has Avalon," he said. "She has survived the Grail's destruction with it, she can handle dematerialization."

The woman still seemed a little worried, but she came closer to take his arm. Before touching him – and he could not wait for that contact between them, however small it was –, she asked where he intended to go.

His reply was immediate.

"To Germany."

Her eyes widened.

"That is halfway across the planet, Gilgamesh. You don't have enough mana–"

He almost narrowed his eyes at her, and she sighed, knowing that it was useless to discuss with him.

"Very well. I suppose it's best to take Sakura somewhere safe and among friends, where she will be properly taken care of."

She put her small hand on his and, with the sleeping girl in his arms, they disappeared.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

As soon as they arrived, her hand left his – to his obvious disappointment – and they were welcomed at the shiny new Einzbern Hotel.

The homunculi instantly made sure that they were seen inside, and Arturia entrusted Sakura to their care, giving them firm instructions to let the tired girl rest.

Illya and Rin were immediately informed of the arrival of their legal guardians and, knowing what it meant, rushed to meet them. The two kings were still in their armours – Arturia had made her own reappear as soon as they had left the inside of the Church, in case there were other dangers –, but that did not stop the two girls from jumping towards them, happy and relieved. Illya embraced Arturia tightly and Rin almost – almost – hugged Gilgamesh, barely managing to stop herself in time.

Shirou and Taiga had been told about their presence as well, but they tactfully gave them some space, at least for a while. Besides… it was not as if the boy was looking forward to being in the company of a tall, arrogant man who very evidently detested him.

As the two former Heroic Spirits were eating a meal the homunculi had prepared from them, Illya and Rin noticed how tired Arturia really was. They could not determine anything from Gilgamesh because his expression and his mana levels were guarded, but it was quite apparent that both of them were fatigued by the events of the day, which they had briefly summarized for them.

So, right after they had finished eating, the two girls invited them to go get some rest, indicating them where their adjacent rooms were and left them on their own.

Before they separated in the hallway, Gilgamesh grabbed her arm, quite gently. She turned to face him, and found herself pulled into his arms, his eyes staring into hers intently.

His question did not come entirely unexpected.

"Do you think that Illya, who loves you dearly, would have ever forgiven you, had you truly decided to give up on your life a few hours ago?"

His expression was challenging, and she knew he was being rhetorical.

She slowly shook her head. There was no need for her answer… they both knew the truth.

The hand that was not holding her around the waist went up to go behind her head and pull her even closer.

His words were a whisper, barely audible.

"Don't _ever_ think about leaving."

And his lips were on hers again, harsh, impatient, ardent, _conquering_ … like the king he was.

Who had ever known that so many emotions could be transmitted through a kiss, through a simple touch of each other's lips…

…oh.

It was no longer a simple touch.

A warm tongue had begun its eager assault as well.

She moaned as his hungry mouth feverishly explored and devoured hers, and her arms automatically went around his shoulders to press him against her. One of his hands opened her severe chignon to sink into her cascading locks, while the other hand enveloped her more securely around the waist.

He pressed her against the wall as he deepened the kiss.

Was she going to let him dominate her like that? Was she just going to _surrender_ to him?

No.

Not on that day, not _ever_.

She was a king, too.

And she replied to the attack with one of her own – pressing herself closer to him and responding to his touch, almost making him stumble backwards – and never breaking the passionate kiss they were sharing.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Illya, very carefully, closed the door of her room and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

And then she beamed.

She could hardly contain her excitement. It had been incredibly difficult to stay still and then sneak away quietly after accidentally witnessing a glimpse of the scene in the hallway. She had just seen a fraction of a second… but it had been enough to see that the kings' lips were touching.

The girl briefly wondered what specifically had happened after the destruction of the Grail to make the two of them end up so comfortable with each other, but it was no use pondering over something she was very unlikely to find answers on.

Illya shared the room with Rin, who was momentarily taking a shower; luckily for her, right in that second the Tohsaka heir came out of the bathroom in her pyjamas. And without giving her enough time to notice her elated look, the white-haired girl jumped towards her to embrace her.

Then she released her and, not caring about her frown and confused expression, enthusiastically exclaimed, "You won't believe what I just saw! Oh Rin, I'm so happy!"

Knowing her friend, Rin waited patiently for an explanation.

Thrilled, Illya continued, "I just saw Arturia together with Gilgamesh in the hall outside… and they were _kissing_!"

The questioning look on Rin's face turned into one of delight and the two girls squealed in excitement, overjoyed, while the Einzbern heir described the short scene she had assisted to, lingering on the few details with glee.

They were both very happy because what they had been hoping for had _finally_ happened. That Gilgamesh had a thing for Arturia had become more and more evident during the previous years, but the woman's thoughts had been more difficult to discern. She had been warming up to him, that was beyond a shadow of a doubt, and perhaps she had even begun to hold some affection for him but, because of how reserved she was, it was hard to determine whether there was actually something deeper.

However… witnessing them kiss, _both_ of them passionately kiss each other…

…was better than what the two wards had ever hoped for.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

During the following days, as Arturia and Gilgamesh told the two girls how the Grail had finally been destroyed, Sakura rested in bed, still feeling quite weak. She spent a lot of time sleeping, because she had gotten a slight fever as she needed to regain her strength, and she had let Shirou and Taiga know that she was simply very tired and a little sick because of the jet lag.

She also had a long conversation with Rin, because both knew that they could now acknowledge their status as biological sisters, and the Tohsaka heir was able to inform her of Zouken and Shinji's deaths.

When her fever had come down, Sakura asked to speak to Arturia alone. Gilgamesh, of course, ignored that request and made sure to be present in the room as well. The King of Knights was slightly exasperated at his behaviour, but the girl did not seem to mind.

When Arturia sat down next to her bed, Sakura put her hands on her stomach, making them glow, and she slowly extracted Avalon from herself.

The woman, alarmed, tried to stop her, but the girl shook her head and simply handed her the sheath with a smile.

"I don't know what this is, but I can guess that you used it to help me survive. You respected my wishes and at the same time freed me from what I considered an endless nightmare. I am now able to live my life…"

There were tears were in her eyes as her voice almost cracked.

"Thank you for what you did… both of you…"

And she extended her arms towards Arturia, wordlessly asking her consent. The King of Knights sealed Avalon inside herself and then leaned forward to envelop the young girl in a sincere embrace, allowing herself to express as much warmth as possible with that gesture. Gilgamesh was seated behind them, and he acknowledged the Matou girl's words with a nonthreatening nod.

The woman could feel Sakura's body shaking in silent tears, and she held her firmly, letting her know that she was not alone…

…and that she never would be, ever again.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

"Arturia."

About a fortnight had passed, and they were still in Germany. Taiga and the children had just gone out to do some 'sightseeing', even if it was actually an excuse to go to an amusement park in a nearby city. The hotel's business was going quite smoothly, and the homunculi enjoyed being in contact with other humans.

Arturia was sitting at the dining room table, a book open in front of her, looking through Illya's future lessons. Fully recovered from the weakness the Grail's destruction had left behind for a few days, she did not intend to disregard the girl's education… and she knew Rin would probably be interested in the lesson as well.

Gilgamesh was standing behind her and, as soon as she turned her head to the side to look up at him, one of his hands went to catch a strand of her hair, absently playing with it.

His expression was oddly thoughtful.

"When the guests go back to Japan… we are not required to go with them."

She raised an eyebrow, seeming a little startled… and sceptical.

"You are Rin's guardian and I am Illya's. Of course we are required to go with them."

A slight annoyance could be heard in his voice.

"We are not required to go with them immediately, though. Those girls are level-headed enough, and the woman is adequately capable of keeping an eye on them."

Arturia frowned. Such a speech was not quite like him.

"Where are you getting at, Gilgamesh?"

He smirked, glad that she had been able to see that he was hinting at something else.

"You have no longer a mission to accomplish, and you enjoyed visiting your homeland when we were in England. Therefore… we might as well go around for a while, and see what the mongrels' world has become like. But I refuse to take the kids from place to place as well – I intend to use the lowly transport systems as little as possible, if at all."

Arturia was surprised at the idea, and even more surprised that it came from _him_.

But she was not against it.

It _would_ be interesting to see more of what had changed through the centuries, especially now that there was no war going on and no mission to complete. Even if they had obtained knowledge of that time period as soon as they had been summoned, knowing in theory and knowing through experience were two different things. _Gilgamesh_ was the one suggesting to learn more about it… and he wanted her to come with him.

Quite unexpected… but pleasant.

She smiled, and he knew she was accepting. However, she had still something to ask.

"But… why do you care so much about it?"

His smirk widened and he leaned forward, his lips ghosting over hers.

"I hold some curiosity about the modern world… and, even though we do have other obligations… for at least a while, my love… I want you completely for myself."

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

In the end, they could not leave on their own – at least not immediately –, they had to go to Japan with the children.

On a plane.

Only thanks to Arturia's patience were they able to avoid a scandal at the airport, because they were quite a large group – three adults and four children – and Gilgamesh was quite annoyed at being among mongrels… _again_. Only the King of Knights's whispered threat of not going with him in the future kept his temper in check.

They also had quite a few formalities to settle before they could leave. The entire Tohsaka heritage, after Kirei's death, was in Gilgamesh's hands, and together with Arturia he swiftly completed the tedious paperwork.

There were also some matters to tend to – regarding Sakura. Shinji's parents were both dead, and Zouken had legally adopted her, so she couldn't just go back to being a Tohsaka. From both Arturia and Gilgamesh came the suggestion to have Taiga become her legal guardian. Sakura, contrary to Rin, had no wish to expand her knowledge about magic, because she had only known suffering through it, and solely desired to live her life peacefully from then on. Kiritsugu had wished the same thing for Shirou, and therefore had entrusted him to the care of someone who was as normal as possible.

Taiga was probably the best solution, and she immediately agreed. The girl already came often to their house; she would simply move in to live with them. The woman was also aware of the fact that the Matou heir had a crush on Shirou, therefore being both their wards would certainly justify an increase of their interactions.

Having made sure that Sakura was entirely safe, the King of Heroes and the King of Knights, legal guardians of Illya and Rin respectively, made the two girls stay at the Emiya residence as well – knowing that Taiga, even if young, was more than reliable enough – and left, promising they would be back in a few weeks time.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

The two kings first dematerialized back to Germany, where they were now at leisure to see all the places they wanted. Even though Gilgamesh's expression was still mildly disgusted when they had to be among other humans, he did not complain when Arturia chose the cities she wished to explore. He found little that he could truly admire, but being alone in her company and able to focus on _her_ reactions more than made up for that.

From Germany they travelled to many other places, giving preference to those that somehow were connected to their past… and to the past of the other Servants they had known.

They went to Greece, Turkey, Egypt and the Middle East, mainly to see the lands that had been Rider's domain. Since they were already in Europe, they went to France, Italy and Spain as well. And after Arturia gently insisted on it, Gilgamesh reluctantly agreed to dematerialize them to Ireland – Lancer's homeland. The King of Heroes would have been angry at the way she 'manipulated' him into accepting, if he hadn't been content to be with her… and if he hadn't been able to see with certainty that she loved him being with her, too.

Everywhere they went, he knew that she liked to observe everything, and he also knew that whenever she saw places that were especially beautiful, she planned to take the children they were guarding there, too – one day, perhaps when they would become of age. She very evidently wanted them to see those places as well, to experience the same things as them. And the thought did not displease him. She was always thinking about the good things she could do for their wards… and she did it so genuinely, it was beautiful to observe.

After seeing other countries, the King of Heroes knew that Arturia longed to be in her home again… and therefore brought them to England, in London.

When they were there, even if she was very happy, the King of Knights pushed aside her personal feelings to discuss something with Gilgamesh. She had thought that perhaps it was best to seek out Waver Velvet, the former Master of Rider during the war, to let him know that the Grail no longer existed. She didn't know what his status inside the Mage's Association was, but he might also be able to slowly let other Magi know that there was no possibility of ever starting another war in Fuyuki City.

To the woman's surprise, Gilgamesh did not oppose her idea; he instead commented that the boy – who had presumably grown in those seven years – was very likely to be the best individual to address, since he was the last person from the war who was still alive.

So they went to a place they had visited several times, the Mage's Association's library, which was still reachable through the British Museum. For once, they were lucky: Waver was there, reading through some very difficult manuals.

The two kings did not bother with disguises in that occasion and, when Arturia appeared in front of him, with a firm expression on her face and Gilgamesh behind her, Waver almost jumped up in shock.

But he had very obviously grown, and observed them carefully after recognizing them, noticing that they did not seem inclined to fight. Therefore, he composed himself and formally invited them to follow him to his study. In over seven years, he had become someone at the Association.

He would never have expected, however, to see those two Servants again, and he fleetingly wondered if perhaps Rider was there as well. But he quickly dismissed the thought; there had to be a logical explanation to everything, and if Rider had been present, he would have come in person.

His study was very private, and he assured the two kings that no one could overhear. Therefore Arturia, very concisely, related to him how they had remained in the world of the living and what had happened after the end of the Fourth Grail War, and concluded by explaining what the two of them had done just a few weeks before.

To say that Waver was stunned was an understatement. The fact that the Grail was gone was not something he could digest so easily. What surprised him the most, however, was the fact that Saber and Archer were… on the same side. There did not seem to be any hostility between them and, according to what she had told him, they had destroyed the Grail _together_. Moreover, in spite of that, they appeared to still have their powers, if Archer sipping on the wine coming from his Gate of Babylon was enough to confirm it.

The grown-up Magus observed the people in front of him carefully, and couldn't help saying, "You two have changed."

Saber did not comment on it, instead smiled gently, looking him in the eye.

"So have you, Waver Velvet."

He looked at her… and he was reminded of the fact that, even if they were dressed normally and were conversing graciously with him, they were actually two kings… from very ancient times.

Bringing back the main topic, she concluded by explaining that they had thought it correct to inform him, since he was the last survivor of the Fourth War; and since he was in London, he could communicate the news to the other specialists of Magecraft.

Waver turned pensive. After reflecting briefly, he said that he had the means to let the other Magi know that there was no Grail in Fuyuki to fight for anymore… but there was a problem.

Some people, entire families, were already preparing for the future war. Therefore the black-haired man asked if the two former Heroic Spirits were going to stay around for a few days, as he disclosed the news and observed the other Magi's reactions.

Arturia and Gilgamesh agreed, knowing that the former Master of Rider had asked such a thing because he was aware of the fact that he might need their assistance. They settled to meet at the library again in three days' time.

In the meantime, Arturia had the wish to go to Wales, because there were many landscapes she loved there. Gilgamesh simply enjoyed looking at her, as she was so open and at ease in her homeland.

And he knew that she didn't just want to see the places she treasured again… she wanted to show them to him, too. In some ways, she wanted to _share_ those memories she had with him.

And that… that gave him a warm feeling in his chest – a feeling he was becoming more and more familiar with and that he actually _appreciated_.

When the three days were over, they returned to London and found Waver at the library entrance, already waiting for them. He brought them to his study, appearing to be tense and somehow worried.

He explained to them that he had had no problems in informing people of the Grail's annihilation, but he had come across a piece of information that highly troubled him. It was about a man, Atram Galiast, whose family had been established very recently in the Association.

Waver knew he sought recognition and prestige, and he had set his eyes on the Grail.

Rider's former Master had no proof… but he knew that the man had been using a considerable amount of his capital to do something shady, and he suspected it was something cruel and heartless that involved innocent people… something similar to what Caster had done during the war.

At those words, Arturia had been indignant. Both kings were aware of the fact that Waver hoped that they would intervene in the matter, because his hands were tied, and they both knew that he had purposely insisted on the facts that were not going to be tolerated by the woman.

Gilgamesh, knowing perfectly that the boy fervidly wished and _needed_ them to act since he could not, placed his hand on Arturia's, calming her anger, and then dematerialized with her.

Waver had told them the location of Atram's manor, and that was where they reappeared later that night.

It wasn't hard to find a terrible workshop… the laboratory of death. There was a huge amount of children, all young girls, held captive in there and, by studying the place, it became evident that their lives were going to be sacrificed in order to produce magical energy. That was how Atram prepared for a future Holy Grail War.

Arturia was livid about the inhumanity of that lab. She immediately set the prisoners free, helping their escape from that horrible place.

Gilgamesh observed the room in pure disgust. Human lives had been sacrificed meaninglessly in that location, and the rabid dog who had done that would face Arturia's wrath, he was certain of it. And perhaps… he entertained the notion of lending her a hand as well.

After the last captive had been released, her voice spoke up, laced in rage.

"Gilgamesh, look at those girls. There were signs of awful tortures on their bodies. Illya, Rin, Sakura… they could have been in their place."

That possibility did not sit well with him. As he was thinking about it, his gaze landed on Arturia. And a very unwelcome thought struck him.

Arturia was a young woman – she could have been among those innocent victims as well.

He knew that, rationally, she was too strong for such a thing to happen… but the mere thought of her in the same situation as those girls…

For the first time since he had entered the room, he felt true fury coming over him. The mongrel was _definitely_ going to pay.

In that moment, the doors of the laboratory opened, and a tall blond man came inside, with a woman who was obviously his assistant – or rather, his accomplice. They stared at the two kings in a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Recognizing the man as Atram Galiast from the description Waver had given them, and after asking him to make sure – he didn't seem to have the bravery to avoid answering –, Arturia took a few menacing steps forward, ignoring the man's loud protests and demands for an explanation.

Before she could summon her Excalibur, however, a Gate of Babylon portal opened next to her right hand, and the hilt of a golden sword appeared.

Not giving her the time to question him, he said in a low voice, so that only she could hear him, "My treasury contains many good close-range fighting weapons… and I can spare one for _you_ , Arturia. This place is not worthy of Excalibur… you may use this."

Appreciative of his offer, she grabbed the golden hilt of the sword he was presenting her and took another step forward. Her voice was ice-cold as she looked at Atram and his assistant with revulsion.

"You are nothing but monsters."

And she raised Gilgamesh's sword.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After the two despicable humans had been taken care of, the two kings made sure there were no other prisoners before leaving the place.

They informed Waver of Atram's brutal laboratory, because they knew he was smart enough to use that knowledge and the news of the man's murder to make things better for the future. He would make sure that people within the Mage's Association realized that who used magic in wicked ways would be punished.

They took their leave from the former Master of Rider, but they remained in London for another short while, to make sure there were not going to be any alarming consequences after what had happened. And Arturia had the desire to be in her country a while longer.

When everything seemed to be normal and back under control, they left London.

Enough time had passed… It was time to go back to Japan, to their wards.

...

...

 **A/N** : Atram Galiast is supposed to be the original future Master of Caster in the Fifth Grail War. The correct transliteration of his name is still debated – I found Atrum Galliasta as well –, but I went with this version. I wanted to address him, but I couldn't do it before the Grail's destruction, so he ended up in the epilogue.

On another note… I decided to have Arturia kill Atram Galiast not only because he is a cruel person and deserved to die, but also to give Waver more power inside the Association. I will no longer say anything about Waver, but it's implied that he will manage to do good inside the Magi's Association.

I also wanted to show that even though Gilgamesh and Arturia are now living in the world of the humans, they will never accept the 'rules' of the modern time without question. They are going to have their own codes of behaviour – and even though perhaps at least Arturia respects other people's point of view, they have their own, and will not submit to others'. Getting rid of Atram Galiast was not a murder from their perspective… it was an act of justice. And especially considering the times they come from, I think they are doing quite well.

This part of the epilogue focused a little more on the last things that needed to be 'fixed' after the Grail's demise. Next time there will be much more GilArt… I promise!

Two other parts to go… Thank you very much for reading!


	28. Epilogue 2 - Understanding

**A/N** : The rating for this story will remain T, but there is some heavy… _hinting_ in this chapter. Don't complain that I did not warn you :P

* * *

…

...

When the two former Heroic Spirits returned to Japan, they went to the Emiya residence, to see their wards again. As they were talking with them, they addressed something they had already discussed among each other.

They – especially Arturia – didn't want to be too near Fuyuki, in Kumamoto's Prefecture, and wished to live elsewhere, at least for a while.

The girls loved Japan, but they agreed with their guardians – they desired to be away from that city as well. Too much from their past was connected to it to quit the place entirely; but some time away from it would only be beneficial.

Therefore, the four of them moved to Tokyo, where they intended to stay for about two years. Taiga, Shirou and Sakura remained in Fuyuki, because the brown-haired woman had her job as a teacher and a – well-defended – house there. Rin and Illya weren't too happy about living far from their respective siblings, even if only for a determined period of time, but they all needed a break from the lives they had led until that moment.

In the documents they had, Arturia was registered as twenty-one and Gilgamesh as twenty-four, but they cared little about it, if not for legal reasons. They bought a small but comfortable house in Japan's capital, while the King of Knights's apartment in Fuyuki was given away and the Tohsaka mansion closed – and remodelled, as the King of Heroes had demanded, because he did not like its gloomy appearance.

For the education of their wards, the former Servants looked for private schools in Tokyo, and the two girls found a good one that was near their new house. They began to attend, making new friends and cautiously opening up to other people.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

One day, Illya and Rin came home from school very quiet.

Rin seemed to try to cover it up smoothly, but both seemed shaken and out of spirits. Arturia observed them with worry and, when they remained mute during dinner and even ate very little, she addressed them, asking what had happened.

The two girls exchanged a glance and muttered something unintelligible, clearly trying to avoid the subject. The King of Knights's expression became the closest thing to stern she usually directed towards them, and they caved immediately, while Gilgamesh hid a smirk at the scene.

They explained that many boys and girls in school did not like the two of them, and that day they had cornered them and accused them of cheating because they always got the highest grades. They had also heavily insulted their appearance, as Illya added uncomfortably. Rin said that they both knew that such bullying events were childish and stupid, but they were hurtful… and it wasn't possible to defend themselves, because magic could not be used against normal humans.

Arturia stood up without a word and made tea for them, to help them feel better, at least minimally. Gilgamesh could see, however, from the tight hold the woman's hands had on the kettle, that she was quite angered. Then she sat down again and caressed the girls' cheeks, in a silent and soothing gesture, and the two promised that they would do their best to try to ignore those bullies.

The King of Heroes did not like to see Arturia frustrated about some mongrels. And he probably knew who those specific mongrels were. A few times, he had been with Arturia when she had gone to pick up the girls from school, and he had seen a group of six or seven individuals, both girls and boys, who, by modern standards, would have been considered dodgy.

He narrowed his eyes. If those rabid dogs were the ones who had dared make his Arturia so cross… then they would have to pay.

He glanced at the clock. It was a little after seven in the evening. Good.

He stood up from the table abruptly, with an undecipherable expression on his face, and he swiftly dematerialized.

There was a huge park nearby, and that was where he appeared again.

He looked around. And sure enough, the group he remembered was there, cutting off some bushes and vandalizing the benches.

The King of Heroes smirked evilly, hidden in the shadows.

It was dark enough to teach those mongrels a lesson they would not forget.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

He had not given an explanation for his absence when he had come back that night, and only when Illya and Rin were home from school the following day did Arturia realize that he had been up to something, because he was listening to them more intently than usual. The girls seemed much happier than the day before, and reported that the intimidators had not only stopped in their offensive behaviour, they had also come to them to apologize for what they had done.

The woman, even though pleased by that turn of events, could not help noticing how the King of Heroes was hiding a very satisfied smirk. She narrowed her eyes at him. His disappearance the previous evening had to be related to the bullies' different attitude in some way or another.

As soon as the girls went to the bathroom to wash their hands before the meal, she addressed him with a frown.

"Gilgamesh, what did you do?"

Feigning innocence was something he would never do, and in such an occasion he didn't, either. His smirk was no longer hidden.

"I simply made sure that those filthy excuses for human beings learned their place."

Arturia almost glared at him.

"Their behaviour was undoubtedly wrong, but _what did you do to them_?"

His expression was vaguely smug.

"I did not hurt them… not physically, anyway."

Her hard stare intensified.

"I hope you did not break them."

He huffed, unconcerned.

"They are still alive, aren't they? And that is much more than what they deserve."

She knew what he meant. If he had _truly_ wanted to take some form of revenge, _nothing_ would have remained of those bullies. He had most likely scared them half to death – which was still a wrong thing to do –, but nothing more than that.

The King of Knights could not condone his actions, though, and she stood up, perhaps to continue to voice her disapproval. His expression, however, made her stop.

He was serious, and looked her in the eye as he spoke.

"Arturia. You were angry about their behaviour towards the girls, especially because they could not defend themselves against non-magical enemies. I simply decided to do something about it before you could… and because you should not be tainted by such disgustingly filthy mongrels."

Her eyes seemed to widen slightly, but she didn't have time to say anything, because the girls were back for dinner.

For the rest of the meal, she did not say a word to him, and only concentrated on Illya and Rin. She was apparently still angry for what he had done.

He frowned. That was not what he had expected.

…

…

She was in the bathroom next to their room, taking a shower. He was sitting on the bed, leaning against the pillows on one end of it, with a frown on his face.

He… was displeased by the fact that she was mad. He had gotten involved in the matter for _her_ sake, after all. He had not liked seeing her troubled about the girls and, irritated himself at the unpleasant mongrels whose behaviour had dared make her so – and who had dared harm Illya and Rin –, he had set out for some… castigation from the shadows. The two girls had become part of his precious treasure as well… and _no one_ touched his treasure.

His thoughts went back to the most precious treasure of his life to linger on her.

Come to think about it… Arturia had been inside the shower for quite a while now.

Right then, the bathroom door opened and she walked out. Uncharacteristically for her, she was wearing a bathrobe and her hair, slightly damp, was down.

His frown deepened. She always came out fully dressed and with hair impeccably tied in her chignon.

Arturia knew that he had noticed that there was something out of the ordinary, but she had _meant_ for him to detect it.

She came closer to the bed, slowly… and smiled a little.

"It was very… nice of you, to look out for the girls the way you did. I may not approve of your methods… but what you did has protected Rin and Illya."

Her smile became more pronounced.

"I appreciate that… Thank you."

He was taken aback… but he was not going to complain about her thanking him.

He lifted his back from the pillows and stared at her intently as she came even closer to him, regal as always. She seemed… friendly.

And… her smile was warm.

Her bathrobe… it was becoming a distraction for him.

Searching her eyes for permission, he reached forward. He had already learned the hard way that he needed to have her consent before touching her. She was no possession he could simply claim… she was so much, much more than that.

But right then, she seemed to be welcoming him, with nothing but affection in her eyes… and trust. He was not going to refuse the implicit invitation.

His fingers began to unfasten the knot that was keeping her robe in place. She simply smiled again… and he tugged at it one last time.

The bathrobe fell on the floor… and his jaw almost dropped.

Standing right in front of him, with long blonde locks framing her face and with a light dust of pink on her cheeks - betraying her self-consciousness –, Arturia was wearing only lace _lingerie_.

But it was not the delicate, elegant and refined soft fabric that hugged all the curves of her small body perfectly that truly caught his attention… it was its _colour_.

The lace was in a vibrant red, with streaks of gold all over it.

Those were _his_ colours.

 _She_ was wearing _his_ colours.

He pulled her to him, eagerly, to kiss her deeply, and her arms went around his neck to be even closer and respond to the kiss with the same amount of fervour.

As his fingers began to trace the straps on her shoulders to push them down, his lips tilted upwards.

Perhaps it was time to try blue for himself… just to see what her reaction would be.

.….

The following day, when it was Illya's turn to clean the rooms, Gilgamesh did not even _attempt_ to hide his smug grin at the girl's startled words.

"Arturia? Why are there strange red clothes on the floor that seem to have been completely torn to pieces?"

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

While they were living in Tokyo, they spent a lot of time together, as a family. At the two girls' eager yet cautious request, Arturia agreed to begin to tell some stories about the past. Not about the Grail War – Illya and Rin would hopefully never know how deeply horrible it was –, but about Britain.

Now that she was no longer fully focused on changing her previous life, the King of Knights was able to remember the true beauties of her time… and gradually talk about them.

She would probably always look back on her kingdom with some amount of regret… but she could also see the many things that she had actually done well. She noticed that when she described the positive aspects of her reign and the people in it, Gilgamesh listened intently, and seemed to like it when she spoke passionately about her time as a king to the two girls.

Only for him, because she knew he liked it, she recounted those good times more and more, and realized… how _happy_ that made her.

Recalling the best moments with her loyal knights and in her kingdom… was truly wonderful.

Talking nonchalantly about the complexity of her past was still difficult, though. Even if she began to share more and more tales with Illya and Rin, there were some things… that she only told _him_ , when he held her close in his embrace in their bed at night.

And realizing how good it felt to be able to open herself about her former life with someone she trusted, made her find the right moment to ask him about his as well.

It was not in his nature to talk about himself in such a way, but he did not want to refuse to answer when _she_ was the one asking. She was the person he had learned to treasure the most in the world, the one who was the most precious to him. And because he loved her… he began to open about his past with her and speak about his kingdom, too.

He shared tales about Uruk, about the adventures he had as a young warrior, his time as a king and eventually talked about Enkidu… but only with her. Even though he knew that he had come to care about their two wards, it was nothing compared to the bond he had with Arturia, which was too deep and unique to be matched by anything else.

She was the only one worthy of listening to his past, for she alone among humanity had had incredibly heavy burdens on her shoulders… and had almost been completely broken by them. She had however managed to rise above them, proving to be more than just a human… and therefore worthy of hearing about his own burdens as a partly divine being.

Unlike him, who had been _born_ as a half-god, she had _chosen_ to give up a part of her humanity by pulling the sword from the stone. She had done such a thing because she had known that some burdens were not for humans – and she had chosen that path nonetheless, accepting to be the one to carry them.

As a half-god, he knew what it meant to have terrible weights on one's shoulders… and during his life as the true first hero, he had gained much wisdom and had probably seen everything the world had to offer. He had also lost his most precious friend, and seen immortality slip from him fingers… he had thought that nothing else could ever surprise him.

But through a time-paradox type of war, the two of them had met… and she had not only proven to be someone new and unexpected for him, but she had also managed to remain truly special in his eyes.

The connection he had formed with her was the deepest and strongest he had ever felt.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

"Gilgamesh."

He was holding her firmly against his chest, not leaving her any room for movement. She knew he enjoyed embracing her from behind and keeping her close like that, especially when they fell asleep, and she could not say that she disliked it.

They were still both in bed, even if it was well past nine in the morning. But they needed to get up.

"Gilgamesh. We have visitors coming."

He nuzzled her neck, tracing his lips on her skin, and she could not suppress a slight shiver.

"Let them wait," were his muffled words.

Arturia sighed. "Gilgamesh…" Her patience was thinning, and her voice held traces of it.

He growled.

"Let the brats wait."

It was Arturia's turn to growl.

" _Gilgamesh_. Do not refer to Rin and Illya as brats."

His hold on her tightened. He knew they still had some time. The two girls had gone to sleep at a friend's, and they were supposed to be back in the late morning.

"Continue to repeat my name with that tone of yours, and know that we will not leave this bed until noon."

She could not suppress a blush, and fervently hoped he would not notice…

…but _of course,_ he did.

His assault on her neck became more insistent, leaving a trail of kisses from her ear to her collarbone, only to stop and let his tongue work its magic on her pulse point.

She could feel her mind beginning to get lost in the sensations he was provoking in her… and she knew he was well aware of that.

His hands did not stay still, either, and began their exploration, making her lean into his touch even further.

With a little grin, his mouth left her neck to go upwards again and, turning her head slightly, he passionately captured her lips with his own.

…

…

About three hours later, a _very_ satisfied Gilgamesh was leaning down on the couch, with a wine glass in hand, and was observing the scene in front of him.

Two girls in their late teens were lying on the thick rug in front of the empty fireplace, each with a recorded movie in their hands, and were arguing about which one should be watched first. Arturia was sitting on an armchair, pointedly avoiding looking at him, and reading through a cinema magazine, deciding where to take the girls later in the afternoon.

Gilgamesh frowned. He did not like it when she was irritated with him, and when it happened for a reason like the one at present, he liked it even less. He knew that Arturia was a very private person and not eager to let what went on between the two of them interfere with the other things in their lives, but seriously.

He had just kept them… pleasurably occupied in the time before the two girls arrived. Sure, she disliked having to rush, and maybe their activities had left only five minutes for her to shower and get dressed, but she was the King of Knights after all, and she had been able to do it in record time. There was no reason for her to be vexed at him.

She had been much angrier other times.

For example, when they had gone to Fuyuki a short while before to have the girls see their siblings and to attend Taiga's engagement ceremony, she had been _furious_ with him after he had possessively kissed her senseless in front of Shirou. Who cared if the brat had asked Sakura out and had begun to date her, in Gilgamesh's opinion he still stole glances at Arturia a bit too often. It had truly not been his fault that the boy had walked in while their lips were locked, but for some reason she had been quite angry with him. And the way she had ignored him had brought him almost to the point of apologizing. _Almost_. Even if he had done nothing wrong.

He mentally sighed. It was best to settle the situation before it worsened. In his opinion, her irritation was unwarranted, but he had to try to see things from her perspective… and she seemed to consider the matter differently.

He stood up from the couch and walked around the two still arguing girls to go stand behind Arturia's armchair. She had been upset enough to not put an end to Illya and Rin's quarrel. He felt a little annoyed and his gaze landed on the two girls resting on the carpet.

"We are taking you to the cinema this evening, and we are _not_ watching more than one movie today. So cease your discussion."

Illya and Rin looked up, eyes wide in surprise. And they quieted immediately.

It was very, _very_ rare for Gilgamesh to intervene in arguments or do some scolding. It was usually Arturia who, with a few words, put things right; but she had apparently been too occupied ignoring him to be her usual self. She knew he had noticed her mood, and had gotten involved for that reason.

That was… more than just considerate of him.

He was still standing behind her. Knowing she would not push him away even if she was still aggravated, he put a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to look at him, her gaze inquisitive. He didn't say a word, simply opening his Gate of Babylon and taking out a steaming teacup with the hand that wasn't on her shoulder, offering it to her.

It was rose tea, her favourite.

She took it hesitantly, and then looked at him in wonder. His hand on her shoulder tightened its hold on her for a second, the closest thing to an apology she would get from him. She knew how difficult such an action was for him.

Slowly, she smiled, and brought the teacup to her lips, taking a sip of her favourite tea flavour. He would understand that she accepted his gesture.

She mentally frowned. He had better not try anything when they would go to the cinema in the evening. Perhaps… perhaps she would make sure that the two girls sat between them… just in case.

It would be his punishment, and Illya and Rin would delight in sitting in the middle.

But for the time being… she was going to enjoy her tea.

Gilgamesh inwardly exhaled. Knowing her, she had not forgiven him completely. He suppressed a small sigh. _The things he had to do for that woman_ …

Yet strangely, he didn't feel like such a small gesture had cost him much.

Mmm. Perhaps he should consider doing them a little more often… especially if he could see her smile like that.

And make her forgive him more easily if he felt inclined to… _irritate_ her the same way again.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

Going to the cinema became a weekly habit for the four of them. They had to choose the classiest places, of course, to satisfy Gilgamesh, but it was something they all enjoyed, because they could watch a movie together and then discuss it at length. Their points of view, especially considering what their lives had been like, were very different, but that only made the conversations livelier and more interesting.

One week, the girls asked to see a new movie that had just come out, about King Arthur. Arturia did not intend to go see that particular film about her former life, and declined the invitation, while Gilgamesh agreed to accompany Illya and Rin.

The King of Heroes was much quieter and more thoughtful than usual after that.

Completely out of the blue, when he was alone with the King of Knights again that evening, he said, "You were a great king, Arturia. You were able to do so much… even as a woman."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Was he mocking her? Was he actually looking down on her because of her sex?

He seemed to sense her suspicion, and raised an eyebrow.

"Even if you had to conceal it and even if you tried hard to ignore it, that doesn't mean you can change your gender. You are a woman, Arturia, whether you like it or not."

She did not break his gaze. She was still unconvinced about the true meaning of his former words.

"I am a woman, yes. But that doesn't mean I can't – and couldn't – be a King."

Unexpectedly, Gilgamesh almost smiled.

"Yes… And that's what makes you more incredible than anyone else. You, as a woman, concealed your true gender and took up the incredibly heavy burden of kingship."

His next words were completely unexpected.

"How many men would have been able to pose as a woman and take on the same weights you carried?"

He came closer to her, and stared into her green orbs deeply. The look in his eyes was strange… so intense that it made her almost unable to hold his gaze.

"You have done more than most people could ever _dream_ of doing… and you have done everything with all your heart."

He put his hand exactly over her heart, touching her tenderly.

"This is such a wonderful treasure … and no one can conquer or claim it. Only you can choose to whom to give it."

Truly, her heart was the greatest of all treasures… and it was a treasure the King of Heroes could not obtain, unless she _chose_ to give it him. He would never have imagined that such a thing actually existed – but she had proven it.

She was actually… the living proof of it.

Such a great woman, with such a great heart… and she had accepted to stay with him, of her own free will.

He leaned forward to press his lips against hers, kissing her softly, slowly, gently, caringly, _lovingly_ …

…because now that she was with him… he would never let her go.

...

...

 **A/N** :

The scene about Arturia's heart is an echo of the events of the Unlimited Blade Works route, in which ~SPOILER~ Gilgamesh rips out Illya's heart. Ugh. But thinking about hearts made me think of this scene.

Was there enough GilArt in this part of the epilogue? If not, there is still the next part, and then a little something more ;)

Thanks for reading!


	29. Epilogue 3 - Living

…

...

One afternoon, Illya was thoughtfully reading through some magazines. She observed the long dresses the models were wearing with a keen eye before suddenly speaking up.

"Arturia, when you will get married, can I help you choose your dress? And will you let me and Rin do your hair? You would look absolutely stunning!"

Arturia almost dropped what she had in her hand, completely astonished.

Before she could reply, however, Gilgamesh snorted.

"She does not need that, Illya. She does not need to be dressed fancifully to be beautiful."

It took the woman all her self-control not to redden, while Illya, quickly recovering from his unexpected intervention, clapped with a thrilled expression on her face.

"You two are just so great together, Arturia! I wish that later in my life I'll find someone who loves me as much as Gilgamesh loves you!"

Managing to suppress another unwanted blush, the King of Knights changed the subject, bringing up the preparation of Rin's birthday cake for the following day.

Arturia thought she had successfully diverted the attention from herself, but she realized it wasn't quite the case as soon as Illya had left to go buy the ingredients for all the sweets they were going to bake.

Gilgamesh was giving her a _very_ smug smile, and there was a devious light in his eyes.

"Be grateful that I did not specify this in front of the girl… but you don't need to be dressed _at all_ to be beautiful."

This time the blush was impossible to suppress.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

"Arturia?"

She looked up from the pot where she was simultaneously stirring soup and teaching Illya how to do it.

"Will I have to move out when you and Gilgamesh have kids?"

Arturia's eyes widened but, luckily, she was not holding anything in her hand – except for the ladle, which was inside the pot –, otherwise she would have dropped it.

Gilgamesh wasn't as lucky. He was sitting on a chair with a book and it almost fell on the floor. His reflexes were fast, though, and he grasped it back in time.

There was a long silence, until Arturia spoke, slowly, "You will never be forced to leave, Illya, that I can promise."

A pause.

"About having kids… I am not sure I want to know what gave you such an idea."

Illya frowned.

"You mean, you don't want to have children?"

Another very awkward silence followed. Illya seemed to realize she had asked something a bit inappropriate and too personal, and looked embarrassed as she apologized. Arturia, however, reassured her, and the girl went to call Rin because it was almost time to eat, leaving the room quietly.

Arturia did not turn towards Gilgamesh, immersed in her thoughts.

Illya's question about children had taken her aback.

She, of all people? Becoming a _mother_?

There was something outrageously wrong in that.

And Gilgamesh becoming a _father_?

Oh. Well… mmm.

Suddenly a pair of strong arms went around her waist and Gilgamesh's chin was on her shoulder. It was obvious to what he was referring when he spoke.

"I was quite interested in hearing your answer, Arturia."

She stopped stirring and stilled in his arms. His mouth went to her ear.

"Don't tell me that you never thought about it."

Her answer was truthful.

"I did not."

She had never considered the idea of having children. She had only recently begun to accept the idea of being in a relationship, for heaven's sake! She was _not_ going further than that. At least not immediately.

And who had ever said that having children _was_ the next step to take?

Her voice was serious as she spoke again, weighing her words carefully.

"Having children should be a choice, Gilgamesh. A mutual choice that two people make."

He hummed slightly in her ear.

"Agreed."

That surprised her. She turned her head slightly to look into his eyes.

Before she could question him about it, he continued, "Until I know your thoughts on the subject and you know mine, there is no choice to make. Would you not agree with me as well, King of Knights?"

It was in such moments that she really could see not only how much he had changed – and for the better –, but also how much she had come to love him. She smiled, relaxed and leaned into his embrace, beginning to stir again.

"I do agree, King of Heroes."

…

…

In another room of the house, Illya related to Rin what had happened. The Tohsaka heir scolded her for her words, because they both knew that it was very likely a delicate subject for two people who had already lived an entire life, became Heroic Spirits and then were given a new chance in the modern world.

But, after agreeing not to ask anything else to their guardians, the girls talked about it among themselves. The four of them were already a family, in many ways, and if the two adults decided to expand it… it would not be something unwelcome.

Rin and Illya loved living with Gilgamesh and Arturia, and they would not have minded things remaining as they were, but should the adults choose to have children, they would be very happy about it, too. The two kings were more than capable of being parents, in their opinion. Illya especially could not help thinking about how Arturia had been – and still was – even more than a mother figure, to her first and to Rin later, and how Gilgamesh, even if much less warm as a person than Arturia, deep down cared about them and looked out for them in more ways than one.

Therefore, no matter what the adults' decision was going to be – and it was not the wards' place to interfere in it –, the girls would respect it.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After two years in Tokyo, the four of them decided the time was right to move back to Fuyuki. The remodelling of the Tohsaka mansion was not completed yet – at least, it wasn't done the way Gilgamesh and Rin wanted it to be – therefore they went to stay at the Einzbern house in the middle of the city. Illya had missed her brother, and Rin had missed her sister, and now they could be together again. The four children often spent entire afternoons in each other's company.

A matter that had already been addressed, but only briefly, was discussed between Arturia and Gilgamesh again. They talked about the possibility of them taking up an actual job in the modern world. To be fair, there was no actual need for them to do such a thing: the Einzbern and Tohsaka fortunes were large enough to allow them to look after the rightful heirs without any fears for the future, and they never indulged in meaningless expenses. However, to fit better into the society, Arturia thought that it might be beneficial to have a job.

The main problem was that for almost every job a qualification of some kind was required. The two kings knew that it would not be hard for them to enlist to a university and obtain a degree, but it was something that needed quite some time. So they opted for more inconspicuous things… things they involuntarily did and that helped them in socializing.

After Rin decided to take up archery and gave demonstrations of the techniques they taught her, Gilgamesh unexpectedly showed up at that class a few days later. In front of everyone at school, he made biting comments on the methods that were being used, pointing out with accuracy everything that was wrong with them. However, he also explained the correct way of mastering the necessary skills, and when he had finished, he simply motioned for Rin to come because it was time to go home. The girl later told him that he had made a deep impression on both the students and the teachers, and all his instructions had been followed _immediately_.

Arturia, after discovering that Taiga helped at kendo class, offered to assist her. At first the brown-haired woman had been politely doubtful, but she had soon changed her mind after seeing the flawless way in which the King of Knights was able to use the katana.

The petite blonde woman had quickly become popular among the students for her elegant countenance and her regal manners. Gilgamesh, after hearing of that from a chatty Taiga, had made sure to go with her, with one arm possessively and securely placed around her waist, and his aura had been threatening enough to make everyone keep a respectful distance, especially because the classy way in which he had verbally devastated the archery lesson had not yet been forgotten.

Many girls about Rin's age stole glances at Gilgamesh when he passed next to their classes… and Arturia did not fail to notice. Very casually, she allowed him to strengthen his hold on her by putting her arm around him as well. The King of Heroes was not the only one who could be possessive.

Being often at school allowed Arturia to get to know most of the teachers, and together with the two girls she lived with, she often took part in volunteering works. In such a way, she could get to know more people and inconspicuously observe the environment in which the girls grew up. And that helped her look out for their future, allowing them to continue with their life peacefully.

As soon as Illya turned eighteen, Arturia was ready to give her the reins of the Einzbern heritage, which had prospered in the meantime… but the girl refused, because she knew that Arturia was very good at running that business and had her best interest in mind. The woman protested, knowing that it was Illya's rightful possession.

So the two found a compromise. The status of the Einzbern possessions was not going to change until Illya turned twenty-one; from that point onwards, the girl and the woman would have joint legal power over the legacy. Arturia still found it a little unfair, believing that her ward deserved more, but Illya would not budge. For the white-haired girl, Arturia would always be someone half-way between an older sister and a mother… and she trusted her, utterly and completely.

A year later, Rin became of age as well. She made with Gilgamesh the same arrangement Illya had made with Arturia – neither of the two girls had the desire to control their patrimony, at least not until they were a little older, and even then, they would share the ownership.

Soon after her birthday, the black-haired girl told Gilgamesh and Arturia that she wished to go to London, to the Mage's Association, to learn more about other Magi and therefore complete her education, becoming an expert in magic. It would be about a year of apprenticeship.

Gilgamesh was not pleased with the idea of the girl leaving, but only Arturia knew him well enough to see it. And she gently reassured him that it was only going to be for a very specific period of time.

Illya intended to leave for a year as well – but she would to go to Germany, to the hotel with the homunculi. She wanted to learn how to run such a place, and eventually become its legit manager.

The two kings brought both girls to Germany, where they left Illya at the Einzbern hotel, and then they continued towards London with Rin.

When the former Heroic Spirits brought the girl to the Mage's Association, they saw Waver Velvet once again, and introduced him to the Tohsaka heir. They wished Rin good luck and reminded her to keep in touch with them regularly, and also with Illya in Germany and Sakura in Fuyuki.

As soon as the girl was on her way for the first classes she had to attend, they addressed Rider's former Master again. Arturia asked him to look out for Rin, at least from a distance. More bluntly, Gilgamesh reminded him that he owed them because they had destroyed the Atram Galiast menace. The King of Knights did not approve of such a reminder, which was too similar to a threat for her tastes, but she knew that he was saying that for the girl's sake.

Very sombrely, after asking him to make sure Rin was safe, the King of Heroes looked Waver in the eye.

"Prove to me – and to yourself – that you are still as worthy of my respect as you were during the war."

Arturia was glad about his words – he showed that he cared about his ward. However, she was no longer surprised by it… she had learned to see how much he had changed.

As their wards were occupied in different countries for a year, often calling – as Arturia recognized both with pride and melancholy, they were growing up –, the two kings had some time for themselves.

And they did not dislike that.

They could travel again, on their own, without the girls. Even though they were very fond of them, some time to be alone was something they both appreciated.

They planned to all reunite in Japan the following year, around the time Sakura would come of age as well, and in the meantime, the two former Heroic Spirits could spend their time around the world the way they preferred… together.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

They were sitting in the grass under a majestic tree on top of a hill, in the Middle East, in the Fertile Crescent that had once been known as Mesopotamia. They had just finished their late afternoon picnic meal, and were simply enjoying their free time.

Arturia was gazing into the distance, looking at the landscape with interest. She had never seen such places.

Gilgamesh stared at her intently, as a gentle breeze blew around them.

They were residing at a hotel for the time of their stay – a very luxurious hotel, of course – and, for once, he had not found anything to complain about.

The place was certainly well kept… and the bed sheets were soft. _Very_ soft. A slight smirk appeared on his lips as his mind lingered on how they had spent the previous night between those _soft_ sheets…

…and then his thoughts brought him back to the present, on the woman in front of him.

As elegant as ever. As fascinating as ever. As _beautiful_ as ever. And more precious than ever.

He could not stop himself. He leaned forward slightly, one of his hands going to cup her cheek and caress it. She turned towards him, a little startled, and he took advantage of the closeness to capture her lips with his, kissing her deeply but also surprisingly very tenderly, his other hand going around her waist to pull her closer to him.

She shut her eyes, responding to his touch.

When they separated, he could see her slowly open her eyes again. There was a questioning light in her green gaze. It was not unusual for him to randomly kiss her – she did it too, sometimes –, but not in such a gentle and caring and _loving_ way.

He knew she expected him to explain his unfamiliar behaviour – and he leaned forward, to rest his forehead against hers. One of his hands was still around her waist, while the other was caressing her face. They were very close.

Slowly, he allowed his hand to sink in her long, blonde hair. She had chosen to leave it unbound that day – a rare occurrence, of which he was going to take full advantage, even though he loved undoing her chignon himself.

His voice was low, but every word was clear as he spoke.

"Will you become my wife?"

Her expression went from puzzled to understanding and then to gently accepting.

"Do you _need_ me to be your wife?"

He almost smiled… and without his usual smugness.

"No. But I would like you to be."

The corners of her lips tilted upwards in a smile as well.

"I thought that changing our surnames already meant that we were tied to each other."

They had indeed changed their documents with the help of the homunculi, because after the destruction of the Grail they seemed to have begun to age, even if more slowly than normal humans. Such a thing did not really matter to them, but since they needed the legal documents to be corresponding to their appearance, they had created new ones… with new names.

They still had their previous names, but both had a new surname added.

 _Ziusudra_.

Which literally meant 'life of long days', or, as Gilgamesh preferred, 'found long life'. Each of them had found a long life… there could not be anything more appropriate.

But that was not relevant for the matter at hand.

He almost scoffed.

"I do not care about the mongrels' laws and formalities when it comes to this kind of things. I want to know _your_ answer. Will you be my wife, Arturia?"

She smiled a little, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Then she leaned forward and, surprising him, pressed her lips to his, in a chaste but heartfelt gesture.

"You know that I will, Gilgamesh."

His arms enveloped her body, pulling her closer to him so that she had no choice but sit in his lap.

They had already talked about marriage many years before, in Germany, when she had very resolutely and with good reason – though perhaps a little impolitely – rejected him and insulted him heavily. And back then, she had been more than justified in her reproaches. But now…

His lips were against hers again, in a replica of the way she had kissed him a few seconds before. Then his mouth descended to her neck, and nibbled the skin softly, making her shiver.

They knew that they did not need a wedding ceremony, or rings, or a huge party, or any other type of thing. All Gilgamesh had been asking was if she agreed to be his wife – for him to know, not really for the rest of the world. The only people they truly cared about, Illya and Rin, were already aware of the fact that they were together, so… nothing else was actually needed.

She suddenly pushed him away gently, ending the pleasurable contact of his lips with her neck. She narrowed her eyes at him, while his expression was questioning.

"Know that this does not change anything, substantially speaking. As a person, I am a king… not a wife."

His hands were unmoving around her waist, and his face leaned closer to hers.

"You are not _a_ wife… but _my_ wife. And, even as you become my queen… you are still one of the greatest kings in the world."

His lips were back on hers, and this time, the kiss was unrestrained on both parts.

…

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

After the year of learning was over, Arturia and Gilgamesh went to pick up Rin in London and went with her to Germany. From there, they were taking a plane with Illya to go back to Japan.

Arturia had felt… normal in the years following the Grail's destruction. She had enjoyed her time in the modern world before that event as well, but there had always been the shadow of the corrupt artefact over her head. Now she could instead be more relaxed and actually _be_ normal.

Looking at the man sitting next to her on the airplane, she couldn't help wondering at how things had come to be the way they were. Twelve years before, when the Fourth Grail War had ended, she had not had the slightest intention to get to know the arrogant and prideful man that was the King of Heroes… least of all accept to become his wife.

He had certainly changed over the years, but she had as well… and she noticed it on the plane.

An elderly couple addressed them, complimenting Gilgamesh – who did not bother with his threatening aura among the normal mongrels anymore – on the lovely girlfriend he had.

He simply scoffed with a half-hearted glare, and replied that she was not his girlfriend.

She was his _wife_.

'You mongrels', he had added in a low voice.

She knew for certain that she had changed, over time, when she actually felt _amused_ by his antics.

His hand remained on hers during the whole flight, while Illya and Rin were sitting in front of them. The two girls had not missed the short dialogue, and the way the two kings behaved towards each other, but they wisely chose not to comment on it, instead relating everything that had happened in the year they had been apart.

Back in Fuyuki, they moved to live in the Tohsaka mansion. The remodelling and changes that Gilgamesh and Rin had requested had been completed, and the large house was divided into several wings.

Illya, after spending the year learning how to properly run a hotel in Germany, had found that she rather enjoyed it and was quite good at it. Her idea was to turn the huge Einzbern house in the middle of the city of Fuyuki into a hotel, too, and Arturia approved it wholeheartedly. The girl therefore lived at the Tohsaka mansion with the others, and she had her own personal study in one section of the house.

Rin, after becoming a full-fledged Magus, intended to continue her studies and researches about magic. She had a natural talent for Magecraft but little desire to teach it, instead wishing to discover more about its properties, uses and limits. As a place to do research, Fuyuki was ideal, because the concentration of magical energy in that spiritual land was very high. One part of the Tohsaka mansion therefore became her laboratory and experimentation area.

Sakura, who had been recognized as the rightful heir to the Matou family, lived with Taiga and Shirou at the Emiya residence, and seemed to have completely moved on from the demons of her past.

Arturia and Gilgamesh, who lived at the Tohsaka mansion with their former wards, had a slightly larger wing of the house for themselves, which included a dojo and a large library. Their intention was to settle down in Fuyuki, where everything had started, and they had more or less managed to do so.

Arturia was very happy. The two girls they had taken under their wing were growing into beautiful, strong and successful women, and most importantly, they were _serene_ , and not haunted by the past. Their destinies had changed, and their new fate looked brighter than ever.

For herself… Arturia knew that she had truly found a reason to stay in the world of the living. She had found something – or rather, _someone_ – who had changed to become precious to her and fought to find a place in her heart.

She had never thought, during her long life, that she could fall in love… and with the king of arrogance, of all people. But, through the years, they had both changed, and learned to know each other so deeply… and without even realizing it, her feelings for him had gradually transformed and improved.

He had become… the most important person in the world for her.

The life she had not wanted had given her much, much more than what she had ever thought she deserved.

Together, the two kings continued with their lives. They keenly observed how everything – in a world that was now theirs as well as their former wards' – changed around them, and always learned more about it.

To be fair, though, the King of Heroes wasn't very impressed with the modern world. Even if he could recognize that in some ways there had been a technological advancement, the mongrels had destroyed many things during the years. As people, they also seemed to have become more arrogant.

He had noticed, however, that Arturia – who saw those same defects as well as he did – attempted to look more at the positives of the world they lived in… and she did it for Illya and Rin, knowing that that was the world they had been born into.

Therefore, even if he truly wasn't too happy with how the world had become – generally speaking –, he bore it well enough… for Arturia's sake.

And, well… even if he was probably never going to admit it aloud… any world would have been acceptable, as long as _she_ was there.

He had rarely felt more pleased than when they had talked about the modern era, and she had finally openly admitted that she would not have continued living for the girls, who had been almost grown-up by the time the Grail had been destroyed, but because _he_ was there with her.

That was more than proof enough of the fact that Arturia had given him her heart.

And having her heart… was enough for him. It was all _he_ needed to continue living.

He knew she had his – she had obtained it a long, long time before, although he had not realized it immediately.

Even if Gilgamesh did not have his kingdom anymore, nor his best friend, nor anything else he had once deemed vital, he had the most beautiful and precious treasure in the world… the woman he had learned to love.

And nothing mattered to him more than that.

…

…

...

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

…

…

END.

{for real this time ;)}

...

...

 **A/N** : Well, this is the end of "A Different Fate"… I truly hope you enjoyed this story. I must admit that, when I began it, I did not think it would become _this_ long :P

My most heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful friend HiddenCamellia. She was incredibly kind and supportive when I first told her about my ideas for a possible Arturia&Gilgamesh, and that is what prompted me to actually begin to write this story.

I am well aware of the fact that Archer&Saber in canon would never make any sense whatsoever. I just really, really liked the _idea_ of them together because of how interestingly their complex personalities would work with each other; so I *tried* to come up with a possible scenario where they could actually get to know and understand each other better, and then fall in love (because there are so few _completed_ stories about them online!). I have to say that I really like Gilgamesh and Arturia as characters, Arturia for her layered personality with inner strength and Gilgamesh because it would be very easy to dismiss him as just the king of arrogance, but he truly has not-so-obvious aspects in his nature. They are both very multifaceted people, and I can only hope I did them justice. There are so many sides to them that even the Type-Moon Wiki contradicts itself and makes things confusing :P

My point is, in this story I had to make some choices. There is too much to be said about these two, regarding their individual stories and their dispositions. I made my choices on the specific parts of their lives I wanted to address, and I'm aware of the fact that I messed with the characters themselves, their personalities and their past, present and future. I have luckily no ambition of becoming an author or writing a consistent story; I simply had a little fun with my imagination ;)

There's a thing I would like to explain, while I'm still on this subject. At the very beginning of this fic, after the Grail's darkness drenched Gilgamesh and Arturia, they were naked. I specifically wanted to keep that canon fact in the story, because it seemed (to me) to be a good metaphor. I sought to emphasize the fact that, even though there was no concrete barrier between them and even though they are two incredibly good-looking people, there was _nothing else_ between them except for Gilgamesh's twisted and vaguely (read: deeply) sick fascination with her. Even when there was no _physical_ barrier to overcome, their mind-sets were too different and far away from each other to even hope for mutual respect. Lack of clothing is not what makes people close; at the beginning of this story, there was nothing to connect Arturia and Gilgamesh emotionally, and I wanted to point that out.

Before you ask, many characters that I never mentioned here (Bazett Fraga McRemitz, Luviagelita Edelfelt or Emiya Archer – just to name a few) are not going to be addressed. Since I completely ignored Shirou, for example, I don't know if Emiya Archer even _exists_.

The main characters' destiny… Well, Rin Tohsaka and Illyasviel von Einzbern will grow into successful women, and they will _not_ have love interests, for the simple reason that I don't think they need them :) I don't want love interests for Illya and Rin not because I think they should be alone, but because I think they are characters who can be strong without being paired off at random. (And, before some of you ask, _like hell_ was I giving Shirou a harem.) It's the same for Gilgamesh and Arturia: they are very solid characters and strong on their own; similarly, Illya and Rin, unless they find someone on their level, don't _need_ to be in a relationship.

The other characters… Shirou and Sakura… well, they will date. I don't know if their relationship will last, though, because I'm not sure if their crush on each other is deep enough to make for a long-term love. You'll find out what I decide about them – in the bonuses.

I would like to write a few other extra scenes to completely conclude this story; for example, the time in which Gilgamesh kissed Arturia in front of Shirou, which was only briefly mentioned in the second part of the epilogue. The extra will be posted in two chapters with the title " **A Different Fate BONUS: Love Has No Rules** ". The second chapter will be about that specific scene I fleetingly mentioned, plus will give more details – missing from the main storyline – about the other characters' future, with special mentioning of Sakura's, and of course it will end with Taiga's wedding (which was invented by me, it's not true in canon). Oh, and while the second chapter is a fairly harmless T rating, the contents of the first chapter will force me to give it the rating M. *wink* :P

On another note, about the subject of Gilgamesh and Arturia having children… I thought a lot about it… and I like how I left it open. They have not talked about it, they have not discussed it, and therefore they haven't made a decision about it, either. They are, in human terms, young. They have time to decide. This story is therefore concluded with Gilgamesh and Arturia together in the modern world. They have started to age slowly, so they will live out their lives.

HOWEVER. I did want to _consider_ the possibility of them having children. So… there will be another extra, called " **A Different Fate BONUS: Precious New Life** ", to explore that possibility ;)

Please note that, while "Love Has No Rules" is a side-piece to this story with several missing scenes that didn't fit the long epilogue, "Precious New Life" will be a sequel-of-sorts, so a possible future _after_ the end of "A Different Fate" and after "Love Has No Rules" as well.

The very last piece for this universe will then be the very short " **A Different Fate BONUS: I Can** ", and it was probably the most difficult part to write. It's in Sakura's POV, in first person, and it's a collection of scattered thoughts about the events in her life as they unfolded in ADF. That will completely conclude this universe.

And another very important thing. The ever wonderful HiddenCamellia has written her take on Avalon's (Excalibur's sheath) destiny, and she has posted it with the title " _ **Transcend**_ ". In case I had not said this before, she's the best. Aside from truly being an amazing friend, she also listened to all my random ramblings about this story, and patiently helped me out whenever I thought I would not be able to finish it or was uncertain about some points. Go read her piece – I can _promise_ it's much better than what I wrote :)))

Almost forgot… the songs. A lot of music was in the background every time I wrote, because it's incredibly inspiring. My favourites are "Last Stardust" by Aimer, "Sora wa takaku kaze wa utau" by Luna Haruna, Indian songs (*yes, it's thanks to you, HiddenCamellia*) and any song by Kalafina. Almost all their songs have ensnared me. It started with "To the beginning" and "Manten", but it quickly went on to others, with "Hikari no Senritsu", "Lacrimosa", "Oblivious" and recently "Red Moon" high on the list.

 **And again, I highly recommend to check out Fate/Apophenia :)))))**

Well then. I hope you enjoyed reading "A Different Fate", at least as much as I enjoyed writing it :) I'm really grateful that you took the time to read this story, and I truly can't thank you enough for the support.

And I just wanted to say that I'm especially grateful to the many non-GilArt-fans who decided to give this story a try as well – that requires an open-mind, and I appreciate it very much.

Thank you, all of you, so, so much!

Until next time,

KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga


End file.
